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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

RIVERSIDE 


KROM  THK  LIBHAHV 

OF 
DH.  J.  LLOYD  EATON 


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^  /  i'  -    ^2, 


Hpplctons' 

Zown  ant)  Country 

Xibrar\> 

Ko.  215 


THE   BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 

DR.  NIKOLA. 

i2mo.     Paper,  50  cents  ;  cloth,  $1.00. 

"  Crowded  to  the  covers  with  the  mysterious,  the  startling, 
and  the  supernatural." — New  York  Mail  and  Express. 

"A  novel  containing  a  more  ingenious,  exciting,  and  rbsorb- 
ing  romance  has  not  appeared  upon  our  book  table  thij  season." 
— Boston  Courier. 

A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

i2mo.     Paper,  50  cents;  cloth,  $1.00. 

"Mr.  Boothby  never  allows  the  interest  of  their  doings  to 
drop  from  first  page  to  last :  and  he  tells  his  tale  in  a  pleasant, 
brisk  fashion  that  carries  the  reader  along,  and  is  as  convincing  a 
vehicle  as  could  be  chosen  for  the  relation  of  strange  adventures 
such  as  befell  the  hero  and  his  friends." — London  Times. 

THE  MARRIAGE  OF  ESTHER. 

i2mo.     Paper,  50  cents  ;  cloth,  $1.00. 

"  Abounds  in  dramatic  situations,  and  is  bright  in  dialogue, 
graphic  in  description,  and  subtle  in  character  analysis." — Boston 
A  dvertiser. 

"  Crowded  with  incident  yet  perfectly  natural  throughout,  the 
story  is  one  of  the  most  charming  that  its  author  has  yet  writ- 
ten."— New  York  World. 


New  York:   D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  72  Fifth  Avenue. 


THE     BEAUTIFUL 
WHITE     DEVIL 


BY 


GUY  ^pOOTHBY 

AUTHOR   OF    A    BID    FOR    FORTUNE,    DR.    NIKOLA, 
THE    MARRIAGE    OF    ESTHER,    ETC. 


NEW     YORK 

D.     APPLE  TON     AND     COMPANY 

1897 


Copyright,  1896, 
By  D.   APPLETON  AND  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    How  I  COME  TO  HEAR  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WhITE  DeVIL  1 

II.  An  eventful  voyage 16 

III.  The  Beautiful  ^YHITE  Devil 34 

IV.  The  home  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil      .        .  CO 
V.  How  we  fought  the  plague 79 

VI.  A  trip  into  the  country 100 

VII,  An  exciting  day 117 

VIII.    A    QUEER    SURPRISE 135 

IX.  How  we  succeeded  in  our  enterprise      .        .        .  149 

X.  Retribution 167 

XL  A  typhoon 186 

XII.  The  first  of  ]May 208 

XIII.  Remanded 226 

XIV.  Plotting  and  planning 239 

XV.  How  we  succeeded 256 

XVI.  Our  marriage,  and  the  settlement  again       .        .  270 


THE   BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HOW  I   COME  TO   HEAR   OF  THE   BEAUTIFUL 
WHITE   DEVIL. 

The  night  was  sweltering  hot,  even  for  Hong  Kong. 
The  town  clock  had  just  chimed  a  quarter-past  ten,  and 
though  the  actual  sound  of  the  striking  had  died  away, 
the  vibration  of  the  bells  lingered  for  nearly  half  a 
minute  on  the  murky  stillness  of  the  air.  In  spite  of 
the  exertions  of  the  punkah  coolie,  the  billiard-room  of 
the  Occidental  Hotel  was  like  the  furnace-doors  of 
Sheol.  Benwell,  of  the  Chinese  Revenue  cutter 
Y- Chang,  and  Peckle,  of  the  English  cruiser  Tartaric, 
stripped  nearly  to  the  buff,  were  laboriously  engaged 
upon  a  hundred  up  ;  while  Maloney,  of  the  San 
Francisco  mail-boat,  and  I,  George  De  Normanville, 
looked  on,  and  encouraged  them  with  sarcasms  and 
utterly  irrational  advice.  Between  times  the  subdued 
jabbering  of  a  group  of  rickshaw  coolies,  across  the 
pavement,  percolated  in  to  us,  and  mingled  with  the 
click  of  the  billiard  balls  and  the  monotonous  whining 
of  the  punkah  rope  ;  then  the  voice  of  a  man  in  the 
verandah  upstairs,  singing  to  the  accompaniment  of  a 


2  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

banjo,  drifted  down,  and  set  us  beating  time  with  our 
heels  upon  tlie  Avooden  floor. 

The  words  of  the  song  seemed  strangely  out  of  place 
in  that  heathen  land,  so  many  thousand  miles  removed 
from  Costerdom.  But  the  wail  of  the  music  had  quite 
a  different  effect.  The  singer's  voice  was  distinctlv  a 
good  one,  and  he  used  it  with  considerable  ability  : 

"  She  wears  an  artful  bonnet,  feathers  stuck  all  on  it, 

Covering  a  fringe  all  curled  ; 
She's  just  about  the  neatest,  prettiest,  and  sweetest 

Donna  in  the  wide,  wide  world. 
And  she'll  be  Mrs.  'Awkins,  Mrs.  'Enry  'Awkins, 

Got  her  for  to  name  the  day. 
We  settled  it  last  Monday,  so  to  church  on  Sunday, 

OH  we  trots  the  donkey  shay. 

"  Oh,  Eliza  !    Dear  Eliza  !    If  you  die  an  old  maid 
You'll  only  have  yourself  to  blame. 
D'ye-hear  Eliza — dear  EHza  ! 
Mrs.  'Enry  'Awkins  is  a  fust-class  name." 

Half  a  dozen  other  voices  took  up  the  chorus,  and 
sent  it  rolling  away  over  the  litter  of  sampans  alongside 
the  wharf,  out  to  where  the  red  and  blue  funnel  boats 
lay  at  anchor  half  a  mile  distant.  The  two  players 
chalked  their  cues  and  stopped  to  participate. 

"Oh,  Eliza!    Dear  Eliza  !    If  you  die  an  old  maid 
You'll  only  have  yourself  to  blame. 
Oh,  Eliza  !    Dear  Eliza  ! 
Mrs.  'Enry  'Awkins  is  a  fust-class  name." 

The  music  ceased  amid  a  burst  of  applause. 
"  Sixee,   sixee — sevence-three,"  repeated  the  marker 
mechanically. 


I  HEAR  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.        3 

"Give  me  the  rest,  you  almond  eyed  luLber,"  cried 
Peckle  with  sudden  energy  ;  "  we'll  return  to  business, 
for  I'll  be  hanged  if  I'm  going  to  let  myself  be  beaten 
by  the  bo'sun  tight  and  the  raidshipmile  of  a  bottle- 
nosed,  unseaworthy  Chinese  contraband." 

Maloney  knocked  the  ash  off  his  cigar  on  his  chair-arm 
and  said,  by  way  of  explanation,  "  Our  friend  Peckle, 
gentlemen,  chowed  last  night  at  Government  House.  He 
hasn't  sloughed  his  company  manners  yet." 

Benwell  sent  the  red  whizzing  up  the  table  into  the 
top  pocket,  potted  his  opponent  into  the  right-hand 
middle,  by  way  of  revenge,  and  then  gave  the  customary 
miss  in  baulk. 

"A  Whitechapel  game  and  be  hanged  to  3'ou,"  said 

Peckle  contemptuously.      "I'll  bet  you  a  dollar  I 

Hullo!  who's  this?  Poddy,  by  all  that's  human! 
Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?  Why  this  indecent 
haste?" 

The  newcomer  was  a  short  podgy  man,  with  a  clean- 
shaven red  face,  white  teeth,  ver}"-  prominent  eves,  large 
cars,  and  almost  marmalade-coloured  hair.  He  was  in 
a  Drofuse  perspiration,  and  so  much  out  of  breath  that 
for  quite  two  minutes  he  was  unable  to  answer  their 
salutations. 

"Poddy  is  suffering  from  a  bad  attack  of  suppressed 
information,"  said  Benwell,  who  had  been  examining 
him  criticallj'.  "  Better  prescribe  for  him,  De  Norman- 
ville.  Ah,  I  forgot,  you  don't  know  one  another.  Let 
me  introduce  you — Mr.  Horace  Venderbrun,  Dr.  De 
Normanville.  Now  you're  acquent,  as  they  say  in  the 
farces." 

"  Out  with  it,  Poddy,"  continued  Peckle,  digging  him 


*  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

in  the  ribs  with  the  butt  of  his  cne.  "  If  you  don't  tell 
us  soon,  we  shall  be  sorrowfully  compelled  to  jiostpone 
our  engagements  to-morrow  in  order  to  witness  your 
interment  in  the  Happy  Valley." 

"Well,  in  the  first  place,"  began  Mr.   Venderbrun, 

"  you  must  know " 

"  Hear,  hear,  Poddy.     A  dashed  good  beginning  !  " 
"  Shut  up,  Peckle,  and  give  the  minstrel  a  chance. 
Now,  my  Blondel,  pipe  your  tuneful  la}'." 

"  You  must  know  that  the  Oodnadatta " 

"  Well — well,  Skipper — Perkins,  martinet  and  tee- 
totaller ;  chief  officer,  Bradburn,  otherwise  the  China 
Sea  Liar  !  Wliat  about  her  ?  She  sailed  this  evening 
for  Shanghai  ?  " 

"  With  a  million  and  a  half  of  specie  aboard.     Don't 
forget  that  !     Went  ashore  in  the  Ly-ee-moon  Pass  at 
seven  o'clock.     Surrounded  by  junks  instantly.     Skip- 
per  despatched  third  officer  in  launch  full  steam  for 
assistance.     Gunboat  Avent  down  post  haste,  and,  like 
most   gunboats,   arrived    too   late   to   be   of   any   use. 
Apologies,  Peckle,  old  man  !    Skipper  and  ten  men  shot, 
chief  officer  dirked,  first  saloon  passengers  of  importance 
cleaned  of  their  valuables  and  locked  up  in  their  own 
berths.     The  bullion  room  was  then  rifled,  and  every 
rod  cent  of  the  money  is  gone — goodness  knows  where. 
Now,  what  d'you  think  of  that  for  news?  " 
"  My  gracious  !  " 
*'  What  junks  were  they  ?" 
"  Nobody  knows." 

"  The  L3'-ee-raoon   Pass,  too  !     Right  under  our  very 
noses.     Crirainy  !  Won't  there  be  a  row  !  " 

"The  Beautiful  White  Devil  again,  I  suppose  ?" 


I  HEAR  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.       5 

"  Looks  like  it,  don't  it  ?  Peckle,  my  boy,  from  tlus 
hour  forward  the  papers  will  take  it  up,  and — well,  if  I 
know  anything  of  newspapers,  they'll  drop  it  on  to  j^ou 
gunboat  fellows  pretty  hot." 

"  If  I  were  the  British  Navy  I'd  be  dashed  if  I'd  be 
beaten  by  a  woman." 

"  Hear,  hear,  to  that.     Now  for  your  defence,  Peckle." 

"  Go  ahead  ;  let  me  have  it.  I'm  down  and  I've  got 
no  friends  ;  but  it's  all  very  well  for  you  gentlemen  of 
England,  who  sit  at  home  in  ease,  to  sneer.  If  you 
only  knew  as  much  as  we  do  of  the  lady  you  wouldn't 
criticise  so  freely.     Personally,  I  believe  she's  a  myth." 

"Don't  try  it,  old  man.  We  all  know  the  Lords 
Commissioners  will  stand  a  good  deal,  but,  believe  me, 
they'll  never  swallow  that.  They've  had  too  many 
proofs  to  the  contraiy  lately." 

I  thought  it  was  time  to  interfere. 

"  Will  somebody  take  pity  on  a  poor  barbarian  and 
condescend  to  explain,"  I  said.  "  Since  I've  been  in  the 
East  I've  heard  nothing  but  Beautiful  White  Devil-^ 
Beautiful  White  Devil— Beautiful  White  Devil.  Tiffin 
at  Government  House,  Colombo — Beautiful  White 
Devil  ;  club  chow,  Yokohama — Beautiful  White  Devil  ; 
flagship,  N'agasaJci — Beautiful  White  Devil  ;  and  now 
here.  All  Beautiful  White  Devil,  and  ever}'-  yarn  dif- 
fering from  its  predecessor  by  miles.  I  can  tell  you,  I'm 
beginning  to  feel  very  much  out  of  it." 

Each  of  the  four  men  started  in  to  explain.  I  held  up 
my  hand  in  entreaty. 

"As  you  are  strong,  be  merciful,"  I  cried.  "Not  all 
at  once." 

One   of  the  silent-footed  China-boys  brought  me  a 


6  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

match  for  my  cigar,  and  held  it  until  I  had  obtained  a 
light.  Tlien,  tlirowing  myself  back  in  the  long  cane 
chair,  I  bade  them  work  their  wicked  wills. 

"Let  Poddy  tell,"  said  Peckle.  "  He  boasts  the  most 
prolific  imagination.  Go  on,  old  man,  and  don't  spare 
him." 

Venderbrun  pulled  himself  together,  signed  for  silence, 
and,  having  done  so,  began  theatrically  :  "  Who  is  the 
Beautiful  Devil?  JNryster}^  Where  did  she  first  hail 
from  ?  Mystery.  What  is  her  name,  I  mean  her  real 
name,  not  the  picturesque  Chinese  cognomen  ?  ]M3'ster3\ 
As  far  as  can  be  ascertained  she  made  her  first  appear- 
ance in  Eastern  waters  in  Rangoon,  Jiil}^  24,  18 — .  Got 
hold  of.  some  native  prince  blowing  the  farail}^  treasure 
and  blackmailed  him  out  of  half  a  million  of  dollars. 
A  man  would  never  have  couie  out  of  the  business  alive, 
but  she  did,  and  what  is  more,  with  tlie  money  to  boot. 
Tliree  months  later  the  J^ectis  Queen  went  ashore,  when 
forty-eight  hours  out  of  Singapore,  junks  sprang  up  out 
of  nowhere,  boarded  her  in  spite  of  stubborn  resistance 
on  the  part  of  the  ship's  company,  looted  her  bullion 
room  of  fifty  thousand  pounds  and  her  passengers  of 
three  thousand  more." 

"But  what  reason  have  you  for  connecting  the  Beauti- 
ful Wiiite  Devil  with  that  affair?" 

"White  yacht  hanging  about  all  the  time.  Known 
to  be  hers.  Signals  passed  between  them,  and  when  the 
money  was  secured  it  was  straightway  carried  on  board 
her." 

"  All  right.     Go  on." 

"Quite  quiet  for  three  months.  Then  the  Sultan  of 
Surabaya  chanced  to  make  the  acquaintance  in  Batavia 


I  HEAR  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.       7 

of  an  extraordinarily  beautiful  Avoman.  Tiiey  Avent 
about  a  good  deal  together,  after  Avliich  she  lured  him 
on  board  a  steam  yacht  in  Tanjong  Priok,  presumably 
to  say  good-bye.  Having  done  so,  she  coaxed  him  below, 
sailed  off  with  him  there  and  then,  kept  him  under  lock 
and  key  until  he  had  paid  a  ransom  of  over  four  hundred 
thousand  guilders,  when  he  Avas  put  ashore  again.  Two 
months  later,  Vesey — you  know  Vesey — of  Johore 
Street,  probably  the  richest  man  in  Ilong  Kong,  met  a 
Avoman  staj-ing  at  this  very  hotel.  She  pretended  to  be 
just  out  from  home,  and  no  end  innocent.  Well,  Vesey 
Avas  so  awfully  smitten  that  he  Avanted  to  marry  her — 
bad  as  all  that.  She  took  him  in  hand,  and  one  day  got 
him  to  take  her  for  a  cruise  in  his  yacht.  Of  course  he 
jumped  at  the  chance,  and  off  they  sailed.  Out  at  sea 
they  Avere  met  by  a  Avhite  schooner.  I  believe  Vesey  was 
in  the  middle  of  protesting  his  und3dng  love,  and  all  that 
sort  of  thing,  youknoAA^,  Avhen  my  lady  clapped  a  revolver 
to  his  head,  and  bade  him  heave-to.  A  boat  put  off 
from  the  stranger,  and  both  ]a,dy  and  friend  boarded  her. 
The  long  and  the  short  of  it  was,  Avhen  Vesey  Avas  re- 
leased he  had  signed  a  cheque  for  fifty  thousand  pounds, 
and,  by  Jove,  the  money  Avas  paid  on  the  nail.  Chinese 
Government  have  a  score  against  her  for  abducting  a 
Mandarin  of  the  Gold  Button.  They  tried  to  catch  her 
but  failed.  English  cruiser  Avent  after  her  for  tAvo  days 
and  lost  her  near  Formosa.  Silence  again  for  three 
months,  then  ncAV  Governor  and  Avife,  Sir  Prendergast 
Prendergast,  Avere  coming  out  here  on  the  Ooloomoo. 
Her  ladyship,  Avhom  you  know  Avas  mixed  up  in  that 
Belleville  business,  had  her  famous  diamonds  Avith  her 
— said  to  be  Avorth  thirty  thousand  pounds.     There  Avas 


8  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

also  eighty  tliousand  in  gold  going  up  to  Shanghai.  It 
is  supposed  that  the  purser  must  have  been  bribed  and 
in  the  business  ;  at  any  rate  when  they  arrived  at  Ilong 
Kong  both  bullion,  diamonds,  and  purser  were  mysteri- 
ously missing.  Coiddn't  find  a  trace  of 'em  high  or  low. 
Whether  they  went  overboard  in  a  fog,  whether  they 
were  still  stowed  awa}^  on  board,  nobody  ever  knew. 
They  were  gone,  that  was  enough.  The  Governor  was 
furious,  and  worried  the  Admiralt}^  so  with  despatches 
that  two  cruisers  were  sent  off  with  instructions  to  look 
for  her.  They  pottered  about,  and  at  last  sighted  and 
chased  her  to  the  Philippines,  were  they  lost  her  in  a 
fog.  Those  are  the  principal  counts  against  her,  I  be- 
lieve.    Rum  story,  ain't  it  ?  " 

"Extraordinary.     Has  anybody  ever  seen  her  ? " 

"  I  should  just  think  so.  Sultan  of  Surabaya,  Vesey, 
Native  Prince,  and  all  the  people  staying  at  this  house 
when  she  was  here." 

"What  description  do  they  give  of  her?" 

"Quite  a  young  woman — eight-and-twenfy  at  most. 
Tall  and  willowy.  Beautiful  features,  clear  cut  as  a 
cameo — exquisite  complexion  and  rippling  golden  hair — 
a  voice  like  a  flute,  figure  like  Yenus,  and  e3-es  that 
look  through  yours  into  the  uttermost  depths  of  3-our 
soul." 

"Bravo,  Poddy!  The  little  man's  getting  quite 
enthusiastic." 

"And  isn't  she  worth  being  enthusiastic  about?  By 
Jove  !     Pd  like  to  know  her  histor3\" 

"And  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  with  the  English, 
American,  French,  German,  Chinese,  and  Japanese* fleets 
patrolling  these  waters,  it's  impossible  to  catch  her?" 


I  HEAR  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.        9 

"Quite — up  to  the  present.  Look  at  the  facts  of  the 
case.  Slie's  here  to-day,  and  gone  to-morrow.  White 
yacht  seen  near  Singapore  to-day — copper-coloured  off 
Macassar  on  Thursday — bhack  with  white  ports  near 
Shanghai  the  week  following.  The  police  and  the  poor 
old  Admiral  are  turning  gray  under  the  strain." 

"By  Jove  !     I'd  like  to  see  her." 

"Don't  say  that  or  you  Avill.  Nobody  ever  knows 
where  she'll  turn  up  next.  It  is  certain  that  she  has 
agents  everywhere,  and  that  she's  in  league  Avith  half 
the  junk  pirates  along  the  coast.  Glad  I'm  not  a  man 
worth  abducting." 

"But  in  spite  of  what  you  say,  I  can  hardly  believe 
that  it's  possible  for  a  woman  to  carry  on  such  a  trade. 
It's  like  a  romance." 

"  It's  not  like  it,  it  is  a  romance,  and  a  pretty 
unpleasant  one  too.  Sultan  of  Surabaya  and  poor  old 
Vesey  were  glad  enough  to  see  tlie  final  chapter  of  it, 
I  can  assure  you.  You  should  just  hear  the  latter's 
description  of  the  yacht  and  its  appointments.  He  used 
to  make  us  creep  when  he  told  us  how  this  woman 
would  sit  on  deck,  looking  him  through  and  through 
out  of  her  half  closed  eyes  till  he  began  to  feel  as  if  he'd 
have  to  get  up  and  scream,  or  sit  where  he  was  and 
go  mad.  He  saw  two  or  three  things  on  board  that 
boat  that  he  says  he'll  never  forget,  and  I  gathered 
that  he  doesn't  want  any  more  excursions  in  the  lady's 
company." 

"He  must  be  a  man  without  imagination." 

"  He's  a  man  blessed  witli  good  sound  common  sense. 
That's  what  he  is." 

"  All  the  same,  as  I  said  before,  I'd  like  to  sec  her." 


10  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL. 

"  Well,  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  your  Avisli  is  grati- 
fied before  long.  They're  simply  bound  to  catch  her  ; 
the  wonder  to  me  is  that  they  haven't  done  so  months 
ago." 

"It  seems  incredible  that  she  should  have  escaped  so 
long." 

Peckle  took  up  his  cue  again. 

"  Hear,  hear,  to  that.  And  now,  Benwell,  my  hoj,  if 
you  don't  want  to  go  to  sleep  in  that  chair,  turn  out  and 
finish  the  drubbing  you've  begun.  I  must  be  getting 
aboard  directly." 

Benwell  rose,  and  went  round  the  table  to  where  his 
ball  lay  under  the  cushion.  The  imperturbable  marker 
called  the  score  as  if  there  had  been  no  pause  in  the 
game,  and  the  match  was  once  more  getting  under  way, 
when  the  swing  doors  opened  and  an  elderly  man 
entered  the  room,  lie  Avas  dressed  in  white  from  top 
to  toe,  carried  a  big  umbrella,  and  wore  a  broad- 
brimmed  solar  topee  upon  his  head.  Once  inside,  he 
paused  as  if  irresolute,  and  then,  looking  round  on  its 
occupants,  said  i:)olitely  : 

"  Forgive  my  intrusion  ;  but  can  you  tell  me  where  I 
can  find  a  gentleman  named  I)e  Kormanvillc  ?  " 

"  I  am  that  person  ! "  I  said,  rising  from  my  chair. 

"I  hope  you  will  not  think  me  rude,"  he  continued, 
"but  if  you  could  allow  me  the  honour  of  five  minutes' 
conversation  with  you  I  should  be  obliged." 

"With  pleasure." 

I  crossed  the  room  to  where  he  stood,  and  signed  him 
to  a  seat  near  the  door. 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "  but  the  business  about 
which  I  desire  to  consult  you  is  of  a  highly  important 


I  HEAR  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.      11 

and  confidential  nature.  Is  tbere  any  room  in  tlie  hotel 
wliere  we  can  be  alone  ?  " 

"  Only  my  bedroom,  I'm  afraid,"  I  answered.  "  We 
shall  be  quite  free  from  interruption  there." 

"  That  will  do  excellently.     Let  us  go  to  it." 

With  that  we  went  upstairs.  All  the  way  I  was  puz- 
zling my  brains  to  think  Avhat  he  could  want  with  me. 
The  man  was  so  mysterious,  and  j^et  so  palpably  desirous 
of  pleasing,  that  I  was  becoming  quite  interested.  One 
thing  was  certain — I  had  never  seen  him  before  in 
my   life. 

Arriving  at  m}'  room,  I  lit  a  candle  and  pushed  a  chair 
forward  for  him  ;  having  done  so  I  took  up  my  position 
beside  the  open  window.  Down  in  the  street  below  I 
could  hear  the  subdued  voices  of  tlie  jjassers-by,  the 
rattle  of  rickshaws,  and  the  chafing  of  sampans  alongside 
the  wharf.  I  remember,  too,  that  the  moon  was  just 
rising  over  the  mainland,  and  to  show  how  unimportant 
things  become  engraved  upon  the  memory,  I  recollect 
that  it  struck  me  as  being  more  like  the  yolk  of  a 
liard-boiled  egg  than  ever  I  remember  to  have  thought 
it  before.  Suddenly  I  remembered  the  laws  of  hos- 
pitality. 

"Before  we  begin  business,  may  I  ofi'er  you  some 
■refreshment  ?  "  I  aljked— "  B.  and  S.  ?     Whisky  ?  " 

"  I  am  obliged  to  you,"  he  answered.  "  I  think  I  will 
take  a  little  whisky,  thank  you." 

I  put  my  head  out  of  the  door.  A  servant  was 
passing. 

"  Boy,  bring  two  whisky  pegs." 

Then  returning  to  my  guest,  I  said  :  "  Do  you  smoke  ? 
I  think  I  can  give  you  a  good  cigar." 


12  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

lie  took  one  from  the  box  and  lit  it,  puffing  tlie  smoke 
luxiiviously  tbi-ongli  his  nose.  Presently  the  pegs  were 
forthcoming,  and  Avhen  I  had  signed  the  chit  I  asked  his 
business. 

"  You  are  a  stranger  in  ITong  Kong,  I  believe,  Dr.  De 
aSTornianville  ?  "  he  began. 

"Not  only  in  Hong  Kong,  but  j'ou  might  say  in  the 
East  generally,"  I  answered.  "  I  am  out  on  a  tour  to 
study  Asiastic  diseases  for  a  book  I  am  wn-iting." 

"You  have  achieved  considerable  success  in  your  pro- 
fession, I  believe.     AYe  have  even  heard  of  jo\x  out  here." 

I  modestly  held  my  tongue.  But  so  pitiful  is  the 
vanity  of  man  that  from  this  tirtie  forward  I  began  to 
look  ujDon  my  companion  with  a  more  friendly  air  than  I 
had  hitherto  shown  him, 

"Xow,  forgive  my  impertinence,"  he  continued,  "but 
how  long  do  you  contemplate  remaining  in  the  East?" 

"  It  is  very  uncertain,"  I  replied  ;  "  but  I  almost  fancy 
another  six  weeks  will  find  me  upon  a  P.  and  O,  boat 
homeward  bound." 

"And  in  that  six  weeks  will  your  time  be  very  impor- 
tantly occupied  ?  " 

"I  cannot  say,  but  I  should  rather  think  not.  So  far 
as  I  can  tell  at  present  my  work  is  accomplished." 

"  Ajid  now  M'ill  j'ou  let  me  come  to  business.  To  put 
it  bluntly,  have  j^ou  any  objection  to  earning  a  thousand 
pounds?" 

"  Not  the  very  least  !  "  I  answered  Avith  a  laugh. 
"  What  man  would  liave  ?  Provided,  of  course,  I  can 
earn  it  in  a  legitimate  manner." 

"  You  have  bestowed  considerable  attention  upon  the 
treatment  of  small-poxj  I  believe  ?  " 


I  HEAR  OP  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.      13 

"  I  have  had  sole  charge  of  two  small-pox  hospitals,  if 
that's  what  you  mean." 

"All  !  Then  our  informant  was  right.  Well,  this 
business,  in  which  a  thousand  pounds  is  to  be  earned, 
has  to  do  with  an  outbreak  of  that  disease." 

"  And  you  wish  me  to  take  charge  of  it  ?  " 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  am  commissioned  to 
negotiate." 

"  Where  is  the  place  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  !  " 

"  Not  tell  me  ?    That's  rather  strange,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"It  is  all  very  strange.  But  with  your  permission  I 
will  explain  mj^self  more  clearly." 

I  nodded. 

"  It  is  altogether  an  extraordinary  business.  But,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  pay  is  equally  extraordinary.  I  am 
commissioned  to  find  a  doctor  who  will  undertake  the 
combating  of  an  outbreak  of  small-pox  on  the  following 
terms  and  conditions  :  The  remuneration  shall  be  one 
thousand  pounds  ;  the  doctor  shall  give  his  word  of 
honour  not  to  divulge  the  business  to  any  living  soul  ; 
he  shall  set  off  at  once  to  the  affected  spot,  and  he  shall 
still  further  pledge  himself  to  reveal  nothing  of  what 
he  may  have  heard  or  seen  when  he  returns  here  again. 
Is  that  clear  to  you  ?  " 

"Perfectly.  But  it's  a  most  extraordinary  proposi- 
tion." 

"  I  grant  you  it  is.  But  it  is  a  chance  that  few  men 
would  care  to  let  slip." 

"  How  is  the  person  undertaking  it  to  find  the  place  ?  " 

"  I  Avill  arrange  that  myself." 

"  And  how  is  he  to  return  from  it  again  ?" 


14  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  He  will  be  sent  back  in  tlie  same  way  that  lie 
goes." 

"  And  when  must  he  start  ?  " 

"At  once,  without  delay.  Say  twelve  o'clock  to- 
night." 

"  It  is  nearly  eleven  now." 

"  That  will  leave  an  hour.  Come,  Dr.  De  Norraan- 
ville,  are  you  prepared  to  undertake  it  ?" 

"  I  don't  reall}^  know  what  to  say.  There  is  so  much 
mystery  about  it." 

"  Unfortunately,  that  is  necessary." 

I  paced  the  room  in  anxious  thought,  hardly  knowing 
what  answer  to  give.  Should  I  accept  or  should  I 
decline  the  offer  ?  The  thousand  pounds  was  a  tempta- 
tion, and  yet,  supposing  there  were  some  treacher}^  lurk- 
ing behind  it,  tliat,  in  my  innocence  of  the  East,  I  could 
not  fathom — what  then  ?  Moreover,  the  adventurous 
side  of  the  affair,  I  must  own,  appealed  to  me  strongh'. 
I  was  young,  and  there  was  something  supremely  fasci- 
nating about  the  compliment  and  the  myster}^  that 
enshrouded  it. 

"  Look  here,"  I  said  at  length.  "  Pay  me  half  the 
money  down  before  I  start,  as  a  guarantee  of  good 
faith,  and  I'm  your  man  ! " 

"  Very  good.     I  will  even  meet  you  there  !  " 

He  put  his  hand  inside  his  coat  and  drew  out  a 
pocket-book.  From  this  he  took  five  one  hundred 
pound  Bank  of  England  notes,  and  gave  ihcm  to  mo. 

"  There,  you  have  half  the  money." 

*'  Thank  jou.  Realh',  I  must  beg  your  pardon  for 
almost  doubting  you,  but " 

"Pray  say  no  more.     You  understand  the  conditions 


I  HEAR  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.      16 

tliorouglily.  You  are  not  to  divulge  a  detail  of  the 
errand  to  any  living  soul  now  or  Avlien  you  return." 

"  I  will  give  you  my  word  I  will  not," 

"Then  that  is  settled.  I  am  much  obliged  to  you. 
Can  you  arrange  to  meet  me  on  the  wharf  exactly  at 
midnight?" 

"  Certainly.  I  will  be  there  without  fail.  And  now 
tell  me  something  of  the  outbreak  itself.  Is  it  very 
severe  ?" 

*'Ver3',  There  have  already  been  nearly  a  hundred 
cases,  out  of  which  quite  fifty  have  proved  fatal.  Your 
position  will  be  no  sinecure.  You  will  have  your  work 
cut  out  for  you." 

"  So  it  would  appear.  Now,  if  you  will  excuse  me,  I 
will  go  out  and  endeavour  to  obtain  some  lymph.  We 
shall  need  all  we  can  get," 

"You  need  not  put  yourself  to  so  much  trouble. 
That  has  been  attended  to.  To  prevent  any  suspicion 
arising  from  jonr  asking  for  such  a  thing,  we  have  laid 
in  a  stock  of  everything  j^ou  can  possibly  need." 

"Very  well,  then.     I  will  meet  you  on  the  wharf," 

"  On  the  Avharf  at  twelve  o'clock  precisely.  For  the 
present,  adieu  ! " 

He  shook  me  by  the  hand,  picked  up  his  hat  and  um- 
brella, and  disappeared  down  the  staircase,  while  I  re- 
turned to  my  room  to  pack. 


CHAPTER  II. 


AN    EYEXTFUL   VOYAGE. 


The  last  stroke  of  twelve  was  just  booming  out  on 
the  muggy  night  whfen  I  stepped  on  to  the  landing- 
stage  to  await  my  mysterious  employer.  The  hotel 
servant  who  had  carried  my  bag  put  it  down,  and  hav- 
ing received  his  gratuity  left  me.  The  soft  moonlight 
flooded  ever3'thing,  threw  quaint  shadows  upon  the 
wharf  planks,  shone  upon  the  sleeping  sampans  beside 
it,  and  gurgled  in  oily  wreaths  on  "the  placid  water  in 
the  depths  between  them.  Very  few  peoj^le  were 
abroad,  and  those  Mho  were  had  no  attention  to  spare 
for  me.  The  Sikh  policeman,  who  passed  and  repassed, 
alone  seemed  to  wonder  what  a  white  lord  could  be 
doing  in  such  a  place  at  such  a  time.  But  doubtless  he 
had  had  experience  of  the  curious  ways  of  Sahibdom, 
and,  being  a  wise  man,  if  he  possessed  an}^  curiosity,  he 
refrained  from  giving  me  evidence  of  the  fact. 

Suddenly  tlie  patter  of  naked  feet  behind  me  caught 
my  ear.  A  Chinese  chair,  borne  by  two  stalwart 
bearers,  was  approaching.  Very  naturally  I  settled  it 
in  my  own  mind  that  it  contained  the  man  whom  I  was 
to  meet,  and  turned  to  receive  him.  But  when  the 
conveyance  was  set  down,  it  was  not  the  respectable 
Englishman  I  had  seen  before  who  stepped  out  of  it, 
but  a  portly  Chinaman  of  considerable  rank  and  dignity. 

10 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE.  H 

He  was  gorgeously  clad  in  figured  silk  ;  his  pigtail 
reached  halfway  to  his  heels  and  was  adorned  with 
much  ornamentation  ;  and  I  noticed  that  he  wore  large 
tortoiseshell  spectacles  which,  while  they  completely  hid 
his  eyes,  gave  a  curious  effect  to  his  otherwise  not 
unhandsome  countenance.  Having  descended  from  his 
equipage,  he  dismissed  his  bearers,  and  began  to  stump 
s'olemnly  up  and  down  the  landing-stage,  drawing  closer 
and  closer  to  me  at  every  turn.  Presently  he  summoned 
up  courage  enough  to  accost  me.  To  my  surprise  he 
said : 

"  Wha't  for  you  come  here  one  jjiecee  look  see  ?" 

Not  being  an  adept  at  pigeon  English,  I  simply 
answered — 

"  I'm  afraid  I  don't  understand  you," 

"  What  for  you  come  here  look  see?  " 

"  I'm  waiting  for  a  friend." 

"  Your  friend  allee  same  Eugleesman  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  believe  he's  an  Englishman." 

"  You  go  'way  look  see  chop-chop  ?  " 

"  You'll  excuse  me,  but  that's  my  own  affair,  I  think." 

"Allee  same  smallee  pox,  I  think  !" 

"  You  may  think  what  you  please." 

"S'posing  you  say,  smallee  poxee,  allee  same  one 
piecee  thousan'  pound  ?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can't  continue  this  conversation.  Good 
evening." 

I  turned  on  my  heel,  and  was  about  to  leave  him, 
when  he  stopped  me  by  saying  in  excellent  English: 

"  Thank  you,  Dr.  De  Normanville.  I'm  quite  satis- 
fied." 

'*  Good  gracious,  what's  all  this  ?  " 


18  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  Why,  it  means  that  I  liave  been  trying  3-011,  that's 
all.  Forgive  the  deception,  but  the  importance  of  our 
mission  must  be  my  excuse.  Now  we  must  be  going. 
Here  is  the  boat." 

As  he  spoke,  a  large  sampan  shot  out  from  among  its 
companions  and  came  swiftly  towards  the  wharf. 

"Two  cautions  before  we  embark.  The  first — 
remember  that  I  am  a  Chinaman,  and  speak  onlj^  pigeon 
English.  The  second — if  you  are  armed,  be  careful  of 
your  revolver.  The  men  who  work  the  junk  we  are  going 
down  to  meet  are  not  to  be  trusted  ;  hence  my  disguise." 

He  left  me  and  descended  the  steps.  The  sampan  by 
this  time  had  come  alongside  ;  a  woman  was  rowing  and 
a  vigorous  conversation  in  Chinese  ensued.  When  it 
was  finished  my  companion  beckoned  to  me,  and  picking 
up  my  bag  I  went  down  to  him.  Next  moment  I  was 
aboard  and  stuffed  away  in  the  little  pokey  rat-hole  of 
a  cabin  amidships.  My  friend  took  his  place  beside  mc> 
a  small  boy  took  the  helm,  and  we  pushed  off.  Not  a 
word  was  spoken,  and  in  this  fashion  for  nearly  an  hour 
we  pursued  our  way  down  the  harbour,  passed  a  flutilla 
of  junks,  threaded  a  course  between  the  blue  and  red 
funnel  boats,  and  finally  swept  out  into  the  clear  space 
that  stretches  away  from  Port  Victoria  as  far  as  Green 
Island. 

For  hours  we 'seemed  to  be  imprisoned  in  that  stuffy 
little  cabin.  Like  most  sampans,  the  boat  smelt  abomin- 
ably, and  as  we  could  only  see  the  mechanical  rowing  of 
the  women  in  the  well  forrard,  and  hear  the  occasional 
commands  of  the  tiny  boy  steering  aft,  our  enjovment 
may  be  placed  on  the  debit  side  of  the  account  without 
any  fear  of  miscalculation. 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE.  19 

At  length  m}^  companion,  Avho  bad  not  uttered  a  word 
since  lie  stepped  aboard,  began  to  show  signs  of  impa- 
tience. He  rose  from  bis  seat  and  peered  out  into  the 
nigbt.  Presently  be  appeared  to  be  a  little  relieved  in 
bis  mind,  for  be  reseated  bimself  with  a  muttered  "  Tbank 
goodness,"  and  gave  bimself  up  to  a  careful  consideration 
of  our  position.  Tbrougb  a  slit  in  tbe  tarpaulin  I  could 
just  see  that  we  were  approaching  a  big  junk,  Avbose 
ample  girth  almost  blocked  the  fairway.  Pier  great, 
square  cut  stern  loomed  above  us,  and  round  it  our  cox- 
swain steered  us  with  a  deftness  extraordinary. 

As  we  came  alongside  one  of  the  women  rowing  drew 
in  her  oar  and  said  a  few  words  to  m}""  companion.  In 
answer  be  stepped  out  of  tbe  shelter  and  called  some- 
thing in  Chinese.  A  voice  from  tbe  junk  replied,  and 
tbe  answer  being  evidently  satisfactory  Ave  bitched  on 
and  prepared  to  change  vessels.  A  rope  was  thrown  to 
us,  and  when  it  had  been  made  fast  my  guide  signed 
to  me  to  clamber  aboard.  I  did  so,  and  the  next 
moment  Avas  on  the  junk's  deck  assisting  him  to  a 
place  beside  me. 

TvA^o  or  three  men  Avere  grouped  about  amidshij)s 
watching  us,  and  one,  tbe  owner,  or  skipper  of  the  boat 
I  presumed,  entered  upon  a  longwinded  conversation 
Avith  my  conductor.  As  the}^  talked  I  heard  the  sampan 
push  off  and  disappear  astern.  Then  our  crew  fell  to 
Avork — the  great  sails  were  hoisted,  a  band  went  aft  to 
the  tiller,  and  within  five  minutes  we  were  waddling 
down  tbe  straits  at  a  pace  that  might  possibly  have  been 
four  knots  an  hour.  All  this  time  my  companion  had 
not  addressed  me  once.  His  whole  attention  seemed  to 
be  concentrated  upon  the  work  going  on  around  him. 


20  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

He  treated  me  with  the  contemptuous  indifference  gener- 
ally shown  by  Chinamen  towards  barbarian  Englishmen, 
and  this  I  was  wise  enough  not  to  resent. 

I  will  not  deny,  however,  that  I  was  nervous.  The 
mysterious  errand  on  which  I  was  bound,  the  emphatic, 
but  not  reassuring,  warning  of  my  astute  companion, 
and  the  company  in  which  I  now  found  myself,  were 
calculated  to  have  this  effect.  But  as  we  left  the  land 
behind  us  and  waddled  out  to  sea,  my  fears  began  in  a 
measure  to  subside,  and  I  found  myself  gazing  about  me 
wdth  more  interest  than  I  should  at  any  other  time  have 
thought  possible. 

The  junk  was  one  of  the  largest  I  Lad  ever  seen,  and, 
like  most  of  her  class,  appeared  to  be  all  masts,  sails, 
and  stern.  The  crew  were  as  usual  very  numerous,  and 
a  more  evil-looking  lot  no  one  could  possibly  wish  to 
set  eyes  on  ;  the  face  of  one  little  pock-marked  fellow 
being  particularly  distasteful  to  me.  That  this  indi- 
vidual, for  some  reason,  bore  me  no  good  will  I  was 
pretty  positive,  and  on  one  occasion,  in  passing  where  I 
stood,  he  jolted  against  me  in  such  a  fashion  and  with 
sucli  violence  that  he  nearly  capsized  me.  At  any  other 
time  I  should  have  resented  his  behaviour,  but,  bearing 
in  mind  my  companion's  advice,  I  held  my  peace. 

By  this  time  it  was  nearly  two  o'clock.  The  wind 
was  every  moment  freshening  and  a  brisk  sea  rising, 
The  old  tub  began  to  pitch  unpleasantly,  and  I  found 
repeated  occasion  to  thank  my  stars  that  I  was  a  good 
sailor.  Sharp  dashes  of  spray  broke  over  her  decks  at 
every  plunge,  soaking  us  to  the  skin,  and  adding  con- 
siderably to  the  unpleasantness  of  our  position.  Still, 
however,  my  companion   did  not  speak,  but  T  noticed 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE.  21 

that  lie  watched  the  men  about  him  with  what  struck 
me  as  increased  attention. 

Seeing  tha't  I  had  had  no  sleep  at  all  that  night  it 
may  not  be  a  matter  of  much  surprise  that  I  presently 
began  to  nod.  Stowing  myself  away*  in  a  sheltered 
corner,  I  was  in  the  act  of  indulging  in  a  nap  when  I 
felt  a  body  fall  heavily  against  me.  It  was  m}^  com- 
panion who  had  dropped  asleep  sitting  up,  and  had  been 
dislodged  by  a  sudden  roll  of  the  ship.  He  fell  clean 
across  me,  his  face  against  my  ear,  Xext  moment  I 
knew  that  the  catastrophe  Avas  intentional. 

*'  Keep  your  eyes  open,"  he  whispered  as  he  lay  ; 
"  there  is  treachery  aboard.  We  shall  have  trouble 
before  long." 

After  that  you  may  be  sure  I  thought  no  more  of 
sleep.  Pulling  myself  together  I  slipped  mj^  hand  into 
the  pocket  that  had  contained  my  revolver,  only  to  find, 
to  my  horror  and  astonishment,  that  it  was  gone.  My 
pocket  had  been  picked  since  I  had  come  aboard  the 
junk. 

My  consternation  may  be  better  imagined  than 
described,  and  as  soon  as  I  could  find  occasion  I  let  my 
companion  know  of  my  misfortune. 

"  I  gave  you  fair  warning,"  he  replied  calmly,  "  now 
we  shall  probably  both  lose  our  lives.  However,  what 
can't  be  cured  must  be  endured,  so  pretend  to  be  asleep 
and  don't  move,  whatever  happens,  until  you  hear  from 
me.  That  little  pock-marked  devil  haranguing  the 
others  forrard  is  Kwong  Fung,  the  most  notorious 
pirate  along  the  whole  length  of  the  coast,  and  if  we 
fall  into  his  hands,  well,  there  will  not  be  two  doubts  ae 
to  what  our  fate  will  be." 


22    '  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WfllTE  .DEVIL. 

He  tumbled  over  on  to  Lis  side  with  a  grunt,  while  I 
shut  my  eyes  and  pretended  to  be  asleep.  It  was  grow- 
ing cold  ;  the  wind  was  rising  and  with  it  the  sen. 
Already  the  stars  in  the  East  Avere  paling  preccptibh^, 
and  in  another  hour,  at  most,  day  would  be  born. 

It's  all  very  well  for  people  to  talk  about  coolness  and 
presence  of  mind  in  moments  of  extreme  danger.  Since 
the  events  I'm  now  narrating  took  place,  I've  been  in 
queerer  quarters  than  most  men,  and  though  I've  met 
with  dozens  Avho  could  be  brave  enough  Avhen  the 
actual  moment  for  fighting  arrived,  I've  never  yet  en- 
countered one  who  could  lie  still,  doing  nothing,  for 
three-quarters  of  an  hour,  watching  his  death  preparing 
for  him,  and  not  shoAV  some  sign  of  nervousness. 
Franklj^  I  will  admit  that  I  was  afraid.  To  have  to  lie 
on  that  uncomfortable  heaving  deck,  a  big  sea  running, 
and  more  than  a  capful  of  wind  blowing,  watching,  in 
the  half  dark,  a  gang  of  murderous  ruffians  plotting  one's 
destruction,  would  try  the  nerves  of  the  boldest  of  men. 
Small  wonder  then  that  my  lower  limbs  soon  became  like 
blocks  of  ice,  that  my  teeth  chattered  in  my  head,  and 
that  an  indescribable  sinking  sensation  assumed  posses- 
sion of  my  internal  regions.  I  could  not  take  my  e3'es 
off  the  group  seated  frog  fashion  on  the  deck  forrard. 
Their  very  backs  held  an  awful  fascination  for  me. 

But,  as  it  soon  turned  out,  ni}^  interest  in  them  Avas 
almost  my  undoing.  For  had  I  not  been  so  intent  upon 
watching  Avhat  was  before  me  I  should  perhaps  have 
heard  the  rustling  of  a  human  body  outside  the  bulwarks 
against  Avhich  I  had  seated  myself.  In  that  case  I 
should  have  detected  the  figure  that  had  crawled  quietly 
over  and   Avas   now   slealing  along   the    deck    towards 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE.  23 

where  I  lay.  In  his  hand  ho  carried  a  thin  cord  at  the 
end  of  which  was  a  noose  just  capable  of  encircling  my 
head. 

Suddenly  I  felt  something  touch  my  throat.  I  lifted 
my  head,  and  at  the  same  instant  the  truth  dawned  up- 
on me.  I  was  being  strangled.  How  long  a  time 
elapsed  between  the  cord's  touching  my  neck  and  my 
losing  consciousness  I  could  not  say,  but  brief  as  was  the 
interval,  I  can  recollect  seeing  my  companion  half  raise 
himself.  Then  came  a  flash,  a  loud  report,  a  sudden 
singing  in  my  ears,  and  I  remember  no  more. 

When  I  recovered  my  wits  again  my  companion  was 
bending  over  me. 

"  Thank  God,"  he  said  piously,  "  I  began  to  think  the 
brute  had  done  for  you.  Now  pull  yourself  together  as 
fast  as  you  can,  for  there's  going  to  be  serious  trouble." 

I  looked  round  me  as  well  as  I  could.  By  ray  side  lay 
the  body  of  the  man,  with  the  cord  still  in  his  hand,  and 
from  the  way  in  which  one  arm  was  stretched  out  and 
the  other  doubled  under  him,  I  gathered  that  he  was 
dead.  Amidships  the  crew  of  the  junk  were  assembled, 
listening  to  the  excited  oratory  of  the  little  pock-marked 
devil  against  whom  my  companion  had  warned  me.  He 
held  in  his  hand  a  revolver — mine,  I  had  no  difficulty  in 
guessing — and,  from  the  way  in  wliich  he  turned  and 
pointed  in  our  direction,  I  understood  that  he  was  ex- 
plaining to  tlie  others  the  necessity  which  existed  for 
exterminating  us  without  delay.  I  turned  to  my  com- 
panion and  warmly  thanked  him  for  the  shot  that  had 
saved  my  life. 

"  Don't  mention  it,"  he  answered  coolly.  "  It  was 
fortunate  I  saw  him  cominer.     You  must  remember  tliat 


24  THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE   DEVIL. 

besides  saving  you  it  has  put  one  of  our  adversaries  out 
of  the  way,  and  every  one  against  odds  like  this  counts. 
By  tlie  wa\',  you'd  better  find  something  to  lay  about  you 
with — for  from  all  appearance  we're  in  for  a  big  thing." 

Under  the  bulwarks,  and  a  little  to  the  left  of  where 
I  sat,  was  a  stout  iron  bar  some  two  feet  six  in  length. 
I  managed  to  secure  it,  and  having  done  so,  felt  a  little 
easier  in  my  mind. 

As  I  crawled  back  to  my  station  another  report 
greeted  my  ears,  and  at  the  same  instant  a  bullet 
bedded  itself  in  the  woodwork,  within  an  inch  of  my 
left  temple. 

"That's  the  introduction,"  said  m}'  imperturbable 
friend  with  a  grim  smile.  "  Are  you  ready  ?  He's  got 
the  only  weapon  among  them  and  five  more  cartridges 
left  in  it.  Keep  by  me  and.  give  no  quarter — for 
remember  if  they  win  they'll  show  3'ou  none." 

Bang  !     Another  bullet  whizzed  past  my  ear. 

Bang  !  My  companion  gave  a  low  whistle  and  then 
turned  to  me. 

"Grazed  my  forearm,"  he  said  calml}',  and  then  rais- 
ing his  pistol  shot  the  nearest  of  our  assailants  dead. 
The  man  gave  a  little  cr^^,  more  like  a  sob,  and  with 
outspread  arms  fell  on  his  face  upon  the  deck.  The  next 
roll  of  the  vessel  carried  him  into  the  lee  scuppers, 
where  for  some  time  he  washed  idly  to  and  fro.  Never 
in  my  life  before  had  I  seen  anything  so  coolly 
deliberate  as  the  way  in  which  he  was  picked  off.  It 
was  more  like  rabbit  shooting  than  anything  else. 

"  Two  cartrides  gone  !  "  said  my  comrade. 

As  he  spoke  a  bullet  tore  up  the  deck  at  my  feet, 
while  another  grazed  my  right  shoulder. 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE.  25 

"Four.  Keep  steady  ;  lie's  only  two  left.  Look  out 
then,  for  they'll  rush  us  to  a  certainty  !  I  wish  I  could 
get  another  shot  at  them  first." 

But  this  wish  was  not  destined  to  be  gratified.  The 
scoundrels  had  had  sufficient  evidence  of  his  skill  as  a 
marksman,  and  being  prudent,  though  precious,  villains 
they  had  no  desire  to  receive  further  proof  of  it.  They 
therefore  kept  in  shelter. 

Minute  after  minute  went  slowly  by,  and  everyone 
found  the  night  drawing  further  off  the  sky,  and  the 
light  widening  more  perceptibly.  But  still  no  sign 
came  from  those  in  hiding  forrard.  To  my  mind  this 
"watching  and  waiting  was  the  worst  part  of  the  whole 
business.  All  sorts  of  fresh  horrors  seemed  to  cluster 
round  our  position  as  we  crouched  together  in  the 
shelter  aft. 

Suddenly,  without  any  warning,  and  with  greater 
majesty  than  I  ever  remember  to  have  observed  in  him 
before  or  since,  the  sun  rose  in  the  cloudless  sky. 
Instantly  with  his  coming,  light  and  colour  shot  across 
the  waters,  the  waves  from  being  of  a  dull  leaden  hue 
became  green  and  foam-crested,  and  the  great  fibre 
sails  of  the  junk  from  figuring  as  blears  of  double 
darkness,  reaching  up  to  the  very  clouds,  took  to  them- 
selves again  their  ordinary  commonplace  and  forlorn 
appearance. 

Our  course  lay  due  east,  and  for  this  reason  the  sun 
shone  directly  in  our  faces,  dazzling  us,  and  for  the 
moment  preventing  our  seeing  anything  that  might  be 
occurring  forrard.  I  could  tell  that  this  was  a  matter 
of  some  concern  to  ray  companion,  and  certainly  it  was 
not  to  remain  very  long  a  matter  of  indifference  to  rao, 


26  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

The  sun  had  been  above  tlie  sky  line  scarcely  a  matter 
of  two  minutes  when  another  shot  was  fired  from  for- 
ward, and  I  fell  with  a  cry  to  the  deck.  Next  moment 
I  had  picked  mj^self  up  again,  and,  feeling  very  sick  and 
giddv,  scrambled  to  my  companion's  side.  lie  was  as 
cool  and  apparently  as  unconcerned  as  ever. 

"  The  other  was  the  prologue — this  is  going  to  be  the 
play  itself.  Keep  as  close  to  me  as  jon  can,  and  above 
all  things  fight  to  the  death — accept  no  quarter,  and 
give  none." 

The  words  were  hardly  out  of  his  mouth  before  we 
heard  a  scampering  of  bare  feet  upon  the  deck,  and  a 
succession  of  shrill  yells,  and  then  the  vessel  paying  off 
a  little  on  her  course  showed  us  the  ruffians  climbing  on 
to  the  raised  poop  upon  which  we  stood.  To  my  horror 
— for,  strangely  enough,  in  that  moment  of  intense 
excitement,  I  was  capable  of  a  second  emotion — I  saw 
that  they  were  six  in  number,  while  a  reinforcement, 
numbering  three  more,  waited  upon  the  fo'c's'le  head  to 
watch  the  turn  of  events. 

As  the  head  of  the  first  man  appeared  my  companion 
raised  his  pistol  and  pulled  the  trigger.  The  bullet 
struck  the  poor  wretch  exactly  on  the  bridge  of  the  nose, 
making  a  clear  round  hole  from  which,  an  instant  later, 
a  jet  of  blood  spurted  forth.  A  second  bullet  carried 
another  man  to  his  account,  and  b}'-  this  time  the  remain- 
ing four  were  upon  us. 

Of  what  followed  in  that  turmoil  I  have  but  a  very 
imperfect  recollection.  I  remember  seeing  throe  men 
rush  towards  me,  one  of  whom  I  knew  for  Kwong  Fung, 
tlie  little  pock-marked  rascal  before  mentioned,  and  I 
recollect  that,  Avith  the  instinct  of  dcsj)air,  I  clutched 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE,  27 

my  bar  of  iron  in  both  hands  and  brouglit  it  down  on 
tbe  head  of  the  nearest  of  the  trio  with  all  my  force.  It 
caught  him  on  the  right  temple,  and  crushed  the  skull  in 
like  a  broken  egg-shell.  But  the  piratical  scoundrels 
had  forgotten  the  man  lying  on  the  deck.  In  their 
haste  to  advance  they  omitted  to  step  over  his  bod}', 
caught  their  feet  and  fell  to  the  ground.  At  least,  I 
am  wrong  in  saying  tliey  fell  to  the  ground,  for  only 
the  pock-marked  rascal  fell  ;  the  other  tripped,  and 
would  have  recovered  himself  and  been  upon  me  had  I 
not  sprung  upon  him,  thrown  away  my  bar,  caught  up 
his  companion's  knife,  which  had  fallen  from  his  hand, 
and  tried  my  level  best  to  drive  it  in  above  his  shoulder- 
blade.  But  is  was  easier  said  than  done.  He  clutched 
me  fiercely  and,  locked  hard  and  fast,  we  swayed  this 
way  and  that,  fighting  like  wild-cats  for  our  lives.  He 
was  a  smaller  man  than  I,  but  active  as  an  acrobat,  and 
in  the  most  perfect  training.  Up  and  down,  round  and 
round  we  went,  eyes  glaring,  breath  coming  in  great 
gasps,  our  hands  upon  each  other's  throats,  and  every 
moment  drawing  closer  and  closer  to  the  vessel's  side. 

Though  the  whole  fight  could  not  have  lasted  a  minute 
it  seemed  an  eternity.  I  was  beginning  to  weaken, 
and  I  saw  by  the  look  in  his  hateful  almond  eyes  that 
my  antagonist  knew  it.  But  he  had  bargained  without 
his  host.  A  heavy  roll  sent  the  little  vessel  heeling 
over  to  the  port  side,  and  an  instant  later  we  were  both 
prone  upon  the  deck  rolling,  tumbling,  fighting  again 
to  be  uppermost.  From  the  manner  in  which  I  bad 
fallen,  however,  the  advantage  now  lay  with  me,  and 
you  may  be  sure  I  was  not  slow  to  make  the  most  of  it. 
Throwing  myself  over  and  seating  myself  astride  of  him, 
3 


28  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

I  clutcbed  my  adversary  by  the  tliroat,  and,  drawing 
back  my  arm,  struck  him  with  my  clenched  fist  between 
his  eyes.  The  blow  was  given  with  all  my  strength, 
and  it  certainly  told.  He  lay  beneath  me  a  bleeding 
and  insensible  mass.  Then  staggering  to  my  feet 
I  looked  about  me.  On  the  deck  were  four  dead 
bodies;  two  on  the  break  of  the  poop  lying  faces  down, 
just  where  they  had  fallen,  one  at  my  feet,  his  skull 
dashed  in  and  his  brains  protruding,  a  horrible  sight, — 
another  under  the  bulwarks,  his  limbs  twitching  in  his 
death  agony,  and  his  mouth  vomiting  blood  witli  auto- 
matic regularity.  My  companion  I  discovered  seated 
astride  of  another  individual,  admonishing  him  with 
what  I  knew  was  an  empty  revolver  to  abstain  from  any 
further  attempt  to  escape. 

"I  think  we  have  got  the  upper  hand  of  them  now," 
he  said  as  calmly  as  if  he  were  accustomed  to  going 
through  this  sort  of  thing  every  day  of  his  life. 
"  Would  you  be  so  good  as  to  band  me  that  piece  of 
rope?  I  must  make  this  slippery  gentleman  fast  while 
I  have  him." 

"Surely  it's  the  leader  of  the  gang,"  I  cried,  at  the 
same  time  doing  as  he  had  asked  me.  "  The  man  you 
pointed  out  to  me,  Kwong  Fung  ?  " 

"  You're  quite  right.     It  is." 

"And  now  that  you  have  him,  what  will  his  fate 
be?" 

"A  short  shrift  and  a  long  rope,  if  I  have  anything 
to  do  with  the  matter.  There  !  That's  right,  I  don't 
think  you'll  get  into  much  mischief  now,  my  friend." 

So  saying  he  rose  to  his  feet,  rolled  the  man  over  on 
to  his  back,  and  turned  to  me. 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE.  29 

"  My  goodness,  man/you're  Avounded,"  he  cried,  spin- 
ning me  round  to  find  out  whence  the  blood  was 
dripping. 

And  so  I  was,  though  in  ray  excitement  I  had  quite 
forgotten  the  fact.  A  ball  had  passed  clean  through 
tlie  flesliy  part  of  ray  left  arm,  and  the  blood  flowing 
from  It  had  stiffened  all  my  sleeve. 

With  a  gentleness  one  would  hardly  have  expected  to 
find  in  him,  ray  friend  drew  off  my  coat  and  cut  open 
my  shirt  sleeve.  Then  bidding  me  stay  where  I  was 
while  he  procured  some  water  with  which  to  bathe  the 
wound,  he  left  me  and  went  forrard.  I  did  not,  how- 
ever, see  him  return,  for  now  that  the  excitement  had 
departed,  a  great  faintness  was  stealing  over  me.  The 
sea  seemed  to  be  turning  blade,  and  the  deck  of  the 
junk  to  be  slipping  away  from  under  me.  Finally,  ray 
legs  tottered,  ray  senses  left  me,  and  I  fell  heavily  to 
to  the  ground. 

When  I  came  to  mj^self  again  I  was  lying  on  a  pile  of 
fibre  sails  under  the  shelter  of  an  improvised  awning. 
My  companion,  whose  name  I  discovered  later  was  Wal- 
worth, was  kneeling  beside  me  with  a  preternaturally 
grave  expression  upon  his  usually  stolid  face. 

"  How  do  you  feel  now  ?"  he  inquired,  holding  a  cup 
of  water  to  my  lips. 

I  drank  eagerly,  and  then  replied  that  I  felt  better,  but 
terribly  weak. 

"  Oh,  that's  only  to  be  expected,"  he  answered  reas- 
suringly. "  We  ought  to  be  glad,  considering  the 
amount  of  blood  you  must  have  lost,  that  it's  no  worse. 
Keep  up  your  heart.     You'll  soon  be  all  right  now." 

"  Has  anything  happened  ?  " 


30  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"Xotliing  at  all  !  We're  the  victors  without  doubt. 
As  soon  as  you  can  spare  me  I'm  going  forrard  to  rouse 
out  the  rest  of  the  gang,  and  get  the  junk  on  her  course 
again.     We've  no  time  to  waste  pottering  about  here." 

"  I'm  well  enough  now.  Only  give  me  something  to 
protect  myself  with  in  case  of  accident." 

"Here's  your  own  revolver,  of  which  I  relieved  our 
pock-marked  friend  yonder.  I've  refilled  it,  so,  if  you 
want  to,  you  can  do  damage  to  the  extent  of  six  shots — 
two  for  each  of  the  three  remaining  men  ! " 

After  glancing  at  his  own  weapon  to  see  that  it  was 
fully  charged,  he  picked  his  way  forrard  and  called  in 
Chinese  to  those  in  hiding  to  come  fovtli,  if  tliey  wished 
to  save  their  lives.  In  response  to  his  summons  three 
men  crawled  out  and  stood  in  a  row.  After  he  had 
harangued  them,  I  noticed  that  he  questioned  them 
eagerly  in  turn,  and  was  evidently  much  perturbed  at 
the  answers  he  received.  When  he  had  said  all  that  he 
had  to  say  he  searched  for  something,  and,  not  finding 
it,  left  them  and  came  back  to  me.  Before  making  any 
remark  he  turned  over  the  bodies  on  the  deck,  and, 
when  he  had  done  so,  seemed  still  more  put  out. 

"What's  the  matter?"  I  inquired.  "Are  we  in  for 
any  more  trouble?  " 

"I'm  afraid  so.  That  rascally  captain,  seeing  how 
the  fighting  was  going,  and  dreading  nn^  vengeance, 
must  liave  jumj^ed  overboard,  leaving  no  man  save  my- 
self capable  of  navigating  the  junk.  Added  to  which 
the  food  and  water  supply — which,  had  this  trouble 
not  occurred,  and  we  had  got  further  upon  our  way, 
would  have  been  ample  for  our  requirements — will  only 
last   us,  at   most,  two   more   meals.    However,    it's   no 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE.  31 

good  ciying  over  spilt  milk  ;  we  must  do  our  best  with 
■what  we've  got,  and  having  done  that  we  can't  do  more. 
Let  us  hope  we'll  soon  pick  up  the  boat  of  Avhich  we're 
in  search." 

"And  what  boat  may  that  be  ?" 

"  Why,  the  vessel  that  is  to  take  us  to  the  island,  to 
be  sure.     What  other  could  it  be  ?  " 

"I  had  no  idea  that  we  were  in  search  of  one." 

"  Well,  we  are  ;  and  it  looks  as  if  we  shall  be  in  search 
of  her  for  some  time  to  come.  Confound  those  treacher- 
ous beggars  ! " 

As  he  said  this  he  assumed  possession  of  the  tiller,  the 
vessel's  head  was  brought  round  to  her  course,  and 
presently  we  were  wobbling  along  in  a  new  and  more 
westerly  direction. 

Hour  after  hour  passed  in  tedious  monotony,  and  still 
we  sailed  on.  The  heat  was  intense — the  wind  dropped 
toward  noon,  and  the  face  of  the  deep  then  became  like 
burnished  silver — almost  impossible  to  look  upon.  But 
no  sign  of  the  craft  we  were  in  search  of  greeted  our 
eyes  ;  only  a  native  boat  or  two  far  away  to  the  east- 
ward and  a  big  steamer  hull  down  upon  the  northern 
horizon. 

It  was  not  a  cheerful  outlook  by  any  manner  of 
means,  and  for  the  hundredth  time  or  so  I  reproached 
myself  for  my  folly  in  ever  having  undertaken  the 
voyage.  To  add  to  my  regret  my  arm  was  still  very 
painful,  and  though,  to  a  certain  extent,  I  was  protected 
from  the  sun  by  the  awning  my  friend  had  constructed 
for  me,  yet  I  began  to  suffer  agonies  of  thirst.  The 
afternoon  wore  on — the  sun  declined  upon  the  Avestern 
horizon,  and   still  no  wind   came.     It  looked  as  if   we 


32  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

were  destined  to  spend  yet  another  night  upon  this 
horrible  junk,  the  very  sight  of  wliich  had  become 
beyond  measure  loathsome  to  me.  As  darkness  fell,  it 
seemed  peopled  Avith  ghosts,  for  thougb  the  bodies  of 
those  killed  in  the  late  affray  no  longer  defaced  the 
deck  Avitli  their  ghastly  presence,  I  could  not  drive  the 
picture  they  had  presented  from  ray  brain. 

When  the  sun  disappeared  below  the  horizon,  a  great 
peace  fell  upon  the  deep,  broken  only  by  the  groaning 
of  our  timbers  and  the  ill-stepped  masts.  Little  by 
little  darkness  stole  down  upon  us,  a  few  stars  came 
into  the  sk}^  followed  soon  after  by  multitudes  of 
others.  But  there  was  no  wind  at  all,  and  by  this  time 
my  thirst  was  excruciating.  About  seven  o'clock  my 
companion  brought  me  a  small  cup  of  water,  liardl^^ 
sufficient  to  wet  my  lips,  but  more  precious  tlian  any 
diamonds,  and  held  it  while  I  drank. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  say  that's  all  we  have,"  he  said 
solemnly  when  I  had  finished  it.  "  Henceforward  Ave 
must  go  without." 

His  words  seemed  to  toll  in  my  ears  like  a  death 
knell,  and  I  became  thirst}''  again  immediately.  1  sup- 
pose I  must  have  been  in  a  high  state  of  fever ;  at  any 
rate  I  know  that  I  have  never  spent  such  another  niglit 
of  pure  ph^'sical  agony  in  my  life. 

I  was  asleep  next  morning  when  the  sun  rose,  but  his 
heat  soon  woke  me  to  the  grim  reality  of  our  position. 
My  companion  was  still  at  the  tiller,  and  from  Avherc  I 
la}'  I  could  see  that  Ave  Avere  still  sailing  in  the  same 
direction.  He  called  to  me  to  know  how  I  felt,  and  to 
show  him'that  I  Avas  better,  I  endeavoured  to  rise,  onl}- 
to  fall  back  again  in  Avhat  must  have  been  a  dead  faint. 


AN  EVENTFUL  VOYAGE.  33 

I  have  no  recollection  of  what  followed  immediately 
upon  my  recovering  myself,  excej^t  a  confused  remem- 
brance of  craving  for  water — water  !  water  !  water ! 
But  there  was  none  to  be  had  even  if  I  had  offered  a 
hundred  pounds  for  a  drop. 

Towards  evening  our  plight  was  indeed  pitiable.  We 
were  all  too  weak  to  Avork  the  boat.  Friends  and  foes 
minfifled  together  unmolested.  Unable  to  bear  his 
agony  one  of  the  men  jumped  overboard,  and  so  ended 
his  sufferings.  Others  would  have  followed  his 
example,  but  my  companion  promised  that  he  would 
shoot  the  next  man  who  attempted  it,  and  so  make  his 
end  still  more  certain. 

About  half-past  seven  the  sun  sank  beneath  the 
horizon,  and  with  his  dej^arture  a  welcome  breeze  came 
down  to  us.  Within  an  hour  this  had  freshened  into  a 
moderate  gale.  Then,  just  before  darkness  obscured 
everything,  a  cry  from  one  of  the  Chinamen  forrard 
brought  my  companion  to  his  feet.  Rushing  to  the 
side  he  stared  towards  the  west. 

"  Yes  !  Yes  it  is  !  We're  saved,  De  Normanville — 
we're  saved.     As  he  says,  it  is  the  schooner  !  " 

Then  for  the  fourth  time  during  that  eventful  voyage 
my  senses  deserted  me  ! 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   BEAUTIFUL   WHITE    DEVIL. 

When  I  opened  ray  e^^es  again  I  found  m^-self,  to 
my  intense  astonishment,  lying,  fully  dressed,  in  a  com- 
fortable hammock  beneath  a  well-constructed  awning. 
The  canvas  walls  of  my  resting-place  prevented  mc 
from  seeing  anything  more  of  ray  surroundings  than  my 
toes,  but  when  I  lifted  myself  up  and  peered  over  the 
side,  it  was  not  the  junk's  evil  planks  that  I  saw  before 
me,  but  the  deck  of  a  handsome,  well-appointed  yacht. 
My  hammock  was  seemingly  swung  amidships,  and 
judging  from  the  side  upon  which  I  looked — save  the 
man  at  the  wheel  and  a  couple  of  hands  polishing  brass- 
work  forrard — I  appeared  to  have  the  entire  deck  to 
myself.  Whose  boat  was  she  ?  How  had  I  come  to  be 
aboard  hor  ?  And  how  long  had  I  been  there  ?  But 
thougli  I  puzzled  my  brains  for  an  answer  to  these 
questions  I  could  find  none.  My  memory  refused  to 
serve  me,  and  so,  feeling  tired,  I  laid  m^'self  back  again 
upon  ray  pillow  and  once  more  closed  mj'  eyes. 

I  had  scarcely  done  so  before  I  heard  a  noise  on  the 
other  side  which  caused  me  to  look  over  again.  How 
shall  I  describe  what  1  saw  there  ?  Three  3'ears  have 
passed  since  tlicii,  but  I  have  the  recollection  of  even 
the  minutest  detail  connected  with  the  picture  that  was 
before  me  at  that  moment  just  as  plainly  engraved  upon 
my  mcmoiy  as  if  it  had  occurred  but  yesterday. 

84 


THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE  DEVIL.  35 

Seated  in  a  long  cane  chair,  one  elbow  balanced  on 
the  arm-rest  and  one  tiny  band  supporting  lier  dimpled 
chin,  was  the  most  beautiful  woman — and  I  say  it 
advisedlj^,  knowing  it  to  be  true — that  I  had  ever  or 
have  ever  behekl,  or  shall  ever  behold,  in  ni}^  life. 
Though  she  was  seated,  and  for  that  reason  I  could  not 
determine  her  exact  height,  I  was  convinced  it  was  con- 
siderably above  the  average  ;  her  figure,  as  much  as  I 
could  see  of  it,  was  beautifullj^  moulded  ;  her  face  was 
exquisitely  shaped  ;  he»  eyes  were  large,  and  of  a  deep 
sea-blue  ;  while  the  wealth  of  rippling  hair  that  crowned 
her  head  was  of  a  natural  golden  hue,  and  enhanced 
rather  than  detracted  from  the  softness  of  her  delicate 
complexion.  As  if  still  further  to  add  to  her  general 
fairness,  she  was  dressed  entirely  in  white,  even  to  her 
deck  shoes  and  the  broad  Panama  hat  upon  her  head. 
Only  one  thing  marred  the  picture.  By  her  side,  pre- 
senting a  fitting  contrast  to  so  much  loveliness,  crouched, 
his  head  resting  between  his  forepaws,  a  ferocious  white 
bulldog,  who  ever  and  anon  looked  up  with  big  blood- 
shot eyes  into  her  face  as  if  to  make  quite  sure  that 
there  was  no  one  within  reach  whom  she  might  wish  him 
to  destroy. 

She  was  evidently  absorbed  in  her  own  thoughts,  and 
presently  the  hand  that  was  hanging  down  beside  the 
chair  found  the  dog's  head,  and  began  softly  to  stroke 
his  tulip  ears.  Then  her  eyes  looked  up,  caught  mine, 
and  seeing  that  I  was  no  longer  asleep  she  rose  and 
came  towards  me. 

"  So  you  are  awake  at  last.  Dr.  De  Normanville  ?  " 
she  said  with  a  smile.  And  as  I  heard  her  it  struck  me 
that  her  voice   was  even  more  beautiful  than  all  her 


36  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

other  attributes  put  together.  "You  have  had  a  long 
sleep.     Twelve  liours  !  " 

*'  Twelve  hours  ?  "  I  cried  in  amazement,  at  the  same 
time  gazing  at  her  with  admii-ation  only  too  plainly- 
written  on  my  face.  "  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  I've 
been  twelve  hours  asleep  ?  I  can  hardly  believe  it. 
Why  it  seems  only  a  few  minutes  since  we  were  aboard 
that  rascally  junk.  And  what  has  happened  since  then  ? 
Is  this  the  vessel  we  left  Hong  Kong  to  meet  ?  " 

"  Yes.  This  is  the  boat.  "We  were  just  beginning  to 
grow  anxious  about  you  when  the  junk  was  sighted.  I 
am  afraid,  from  your  companion's  account,  you  must 
have  had  a  desperate  time  on  board  her." 

"  I  should  not  care  to  go  through  it  again,  certainly," 
I  answered  truthfullj'-.  "  One  such  experience  is  enough 
to  last  a  man  a  lifetime.  By  the  way,  how  is  ray 
companion  ?  I  hope  he  is  none  the  worse  for  his 
adventures." 

"  You  need  have  no  fear  on  that  score  ;  he  is  accus- 
tomed to  that  sort  of  thing  and  thrives  on  it,  as  you 
may  have  noticed.  lie  is  below  at  present,  but  as  soon 
as  he  comes  on  deck  I  will  send  him  to  3'ou.  Now  you 
had  better  lie  down  again  and  try  to  get  some  more 
sleep.  You  must  remember  that  your  strength  is  of  the 
utmost  value  to  us." 

"  I  don't  think  I  quite  understand.  But  before  M-e 
go  any  further  will  you  tell  me  what  j'acht  this  is  and 
to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  my  rescue  ?" 

"  This  yacht  is  called  the  Xone  Stm'"  she  answered, 
"  and  I  am  the  owner."  As  she  said  this  she  looked  at 
me  in  rather  a  queer  sort  of  a  way,  I  thought.  But  I 
let  it  pass  and  asked  another  question. 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.  37 

"  I  am  very  much  afraid  you  will  tliiuk  me  pertina- 
cious, but  is  it  permissible  for  me  to  know  your  name  ?  " 

"  You  may  certainly  know  it  if  you  wish  to  ! "  she 
answered  with  a  short  and,  I  could  not  help  thinking, 
rather  bitter  laugh  ;  "  But  I  don't  think  you  will  be 
any  too  pleased  when  you  hear  it.  My  real  name  is 
Alie,  but  by  the  benighted  inhabitants  of  this  part  of 
the  globe  I  am  called  by  another  and  more  picturesque 
cognomen." 

She  stopped,  and  I  almost  caught  my  breath  with 
excitement.     A  light  was  breaking  upon  me. 

"  And  that  is "  I  said,  trying  in  vain  to  keep  my 

voice  down  to  a  steady  level. 

"The  Beautiful  White  Devil,"  she  answered,  with 
another  of  her  peculiar  smiles,  and  then,  calling  her 
bulldog  to  her,  she  bowed  to  me,  turned  on  her  heel, 
and  went  slowly  aft  along  the  deck. 

I  laid  myself  back  in  my  hammock,  my  heart — why, 
I  could  not  say — beating  like  a  piston-rod,  and  tried  to 
think  the  situation  out.  So  my  thoughtless  wish  was 
gratified  after  all :  I  had  now  seen  the  Beautiful  White 
Devil  face  to  face,  and,  what  was  more  to  the  point,  I 
was  likely  to  be  compelled  to  see  more  of  her  than  1 
should  consider  necessary  for  my  own  amusement.  Like 
the  Sultan  of  Surabaya  and  Vesey  of  Hong  Kong,  I  was 
now  her  prisoner.  And  by  what  a  simple  ruse  I  had 
been  caught !  By  all  that  was  reasonable  in  woman, 
however,  what  possible  advantage  could  she  hope  to 
gain  by  abducting  me  ?  At  the  very  most,  I  could  not 
lay  ray  hands  on  more  than  three  thousand  pounds,  and 
what  earthly  use  could  that  be  to  a  woman  who  was 
known  to  deal  in  millions  ?     But  perhaps,  I  reflected,  it 


38  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

was  not  money  slie  was  after  ;  perhaps  she  had  some 
other  desperate  game  to  j^lay — some  other  move  in  that 
wonderful  life  of  hers  in  which  my  science  could  be  of 
use  to  her  and  the  nature  of  which  I  could  not  be 
expected  to  fathom.  Situated  as  I  was,  she  could  com- 
pel me  to  do  her  bidding  if  she  pleased,  or  make  it 
extremely  awkward  for  me  if  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  refuse. 

You  will  doubtless  have  noticed  that  I  had  quite 
abandoned  the  idea  of  the  small-pox  epidemic.  The 
notion  of  that  island  with  the  raging  pestilence  prob- 
abl3^  only  existed  in  the  fertile  brain  of  the  man  who 
had  been  sent  to  induce  me  to  leave  Hong  Kong.  But 
in  that  case — and  here  the  original  argument  wheeled 
back  upon  rae — what  possible  advantage  could  accrue  to 
her  through  abducting  me  ?  There  were  hundreds  of 
richer  men  in  Hong  Kong.  Why  had  not  one  of  them 
been  chosen  ?  But  as  the  more  I  thought  it  out,  the 
farther  I  seemed  to  be  from  getting  at  the  truth  of  it,  I 
gave  the  problem  up  and  turned  my  thoughts  in  another 
direction. 

As  I  did  so  I  heard  somebody  coming  along  the  deck. 
This  time  it  was  a  man's  footstep,  so  I  looked  out  to 
see  who  it  might  bo.  It  was  Walworth,  the  individual 
who  had  visited  me  in  Hong  Kong  and  enticed  me 
away.  He  was  dressed  in  European  habiliments  now, 
and  carried  a  cigarette  in  his  hand.  Seeing  that  I  was 
aware  of  his  presence  he  came  across  to  the  hammock 
and  held  out  his  hand. 

"  Good  morning,  doctor  !  "  he  said  cheerily  enough. 
"  I'm  glad  to  see  you're  better.  All  things  considered 
you've  had  a  nasty  time  of  it  since  3-ou  said  good-bye  to 
the  Victoria  Hotel — haven't  you  ?  " 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEYIL.  39 

*-'  A  pretty  cheeky  way  of  putting  it,  considering  he 
was  the  cause  of  it  all,"  I  thought  to  mj'self.  "  How- 
ever, I'll  give  him  a  Roland  for  his  Oliver  !  He  shall 
not  think  I'm  wanting  in  pluck," 

"  You  have  certainly  contrived  a  good  many  stirring 
adventures  for  my  entertainment,  I  must  say,"  I 
answered  aloud.  "  But  will  you  tell  me  one  thing  ? 
Why  did  you  not  let  me  know  in  Hong  Kong  who  my 
hostess  would  turn  out  to  be  ?  " 

"  Because  in  that  case  you  would  probably  have 
informed  the  police,  and  we  should  not  then  have  been 
able  to  give  ourselves  the  j^leasure  of  your  company  and 
assistance." 

"Well,  all  I  can  say  is,  I  am  sorry  you  didn't  try  for 
hi<>:her  game  while  vou  were  about  it.  For  even  with 
that  five  hundred  you  gave  me,  your  leader  will  only 
get  a  sop  for  her  pains.  You  can't  force  blood  out  of  a 
stone,  can  you  ?  " 

He  seated  himself  in  the  chair  she  had  occupied,  and 
lit  a  fresh  cigarette.     Having  done  so,  he  continued: 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  quite  follow  j'ou  !  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  think  I  could  make  it  much  plainer 
without  being  absolutelj^  rude.  The  long  and  the  short 
of  it  is,  Mr.  Walworth,  if  it's  money  you're  after — why 
not  have  gone  in  for  a  pigeon  better  worth  plucking  ?  " 

"  But  then  we're  not  after  the  money,  you  see.  Why 
should  I  have  paid  j'ou  that  five  hundred  else?  No! 
Dr.  De  Normanville,  you  need  have  no  fear  on  that 
score — our  motive  Avas  perfectly  honest.  We  are  on 
our  way  to  the  island  now  where  the  small-pox  exists, 
and  believe  me,  when  jonr  M'ork  is  accomplished,  you 
will  be  conveyed  safely  back  to  your  hotel.     I  can't  say 


40  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

more  than  that.  Pla}^  fair  by  ns  and  we'll  play  fair  by 
yon.  In  the  meantime  we  shall  hope  to  make  your  stay 
with  ns  as  plea&ant  as  possible." 

I  breathed  freely  again.  I  was  not  abducted.  I 
was  only  wanted  in  my  professional  capacity  after  all. 
^Yell,  that  Avas  a  relief.  I  was  in  a  unique  position,  for 
it  was  evident  I  was  not  only  to  be  i^ernutted  the  oppor- 
tunity of  making  the  Beautiful  White  Devil's  acquaint- 
ance, but  I  was  to  be  well  paid  for  doing  so.  In  the 
first  freedom  from  anxiety  I  began  to  look  forward  with 
almost  pleasure  to  what  lay  before  me. 

"  Don't  you  think  you  could  get  up  for  a  little  while  ?  " 
Walwortli  said,  when  he  had  finished  his  smoke;  "it 
would  do  you  good.     Let  me  help  you." 

With  his  assistance  I  scrambled  out  of  the  hammock 
into  a  cane  chair  alongside  the  companion  hatch.  I  was 
still  very  weak,  and  incapable  of  much  exertion.  Tliere 
could  be  no  doubt  that  I  had  lost  a  good  deal  more 
blood  than  I  had  at  first  imagined. 

Once  seated  in  tlie  chair  I  looked  about  me.  I  was 
now  permitted  a  full  and  uninterrupted  view  of  the 
vessel,  and  was  able  to  make  good  use  of  my  eyes. 
Rouglily  speaking,  that  is  to  say  as  far  as  I  could  tell, 
not  being  a  nautical  man,  she  must  have  been  a  tojisail 
schooner  of  about  three  hundred  tons  burden,  with 
auxiliary  steaming  power,  for  I  could  see  the  funiul, 
which  was  not  in  use  just  then,  lying  along  the  deck. 
In  what  part  of  the  world  she  had  been  built  I  could 
not  tell  ;  but  wherever  it  vras,  she  did  credit  to  her  de- 
signer, for  her  lines  were  perfection,  and  nothing  short 
of  it.  If  ever  a  boat  were  built  for  speed  she  was  that 
one,  and  I  said  as  much  to  my  companion,  who  laughed. 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.  41 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  that,"  he  answered. 
"  But  then,  you  see,  no  other  boat  but  the  fastest  built 
would  suit  her  ladyship.  Believe  me,  there  are  times 
when  even  the  Lone  Star  is  pretty  well  put  to  it  to 
throw  dust  in  her  enemies'  eyes.  If  you  feel  strong 
enough,  shall  we  take  a  walk  round  and  examine  ber?" 

There  was  nothing  I  should  have  liked  more,  so,  tak- 
ing the  arm  he  offered  me,  we  set  off.  The  first  thing 
that  attracted  my  attention  was  the  spotless  neatness 
and  cleanliness  pi^vailing.  The  decks,  which  were  flush 
fore  and  aft,  were  as  white  as  curds  ;  the  brasses  on  the 
wheel,  capstans,  masts,  skylights,  belaying  pins,  shone 
till  you  could  see  your  face  in  them.  Not  a  detail  seemed 
to  have  been  overlooked.  Even  the  great  sheets  of 
canvas,  bellying  into  balloons  above  our  heads,  appeared 
at  first  sight  to  have  been  lately  washed,  while  the  very 
ropes  were  white  and,  when  not  in  actual  use,  flemish- 
coiled  upon  the  decks.  She  carried  six  boats,  an  unusu- 
ally large  number  for  a  craft  of  her  size  ;  two  were  surf- 
boats,  I  found  on  inspection  ;  two  were  uncollapsible 
lifeboats  ;  one  was  an  ordinary  ship's  gig,  while  the 
other  was  a  small  steam  launch  of  excellent  build 
and  workmanship.  For  a  craft  of  three  hundred  tons 
her  spars  were  enormous  :  her  topmast  head  must  have 
been  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  her  deck,  if  an 
inch,  while  from  her  rig  forrard  I  could  guess  the  amount 
of  extra  canvas  she  was  capable  of  carrying."  Walking 
to  the  side,  I  discovered  that  she  was  painted  white,  with 
a  broad  gold  stripe  a  little  above  the  water-line  ;  below 
this  she  was  sheathed  with  copper,  which  shone  like 
gold  whenever  the  water  left  it. 

Inside  the  bulwarks,  and  reaching  to  within  an  inch 


43  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

of  the  scuppers,  were  some  contrivances  that  caused  me 
a  considerable  amount  of  curiosity.  At  first  glance  tLey 
looked  like  reversible  shop  shutters  more  than  any- 
thing else,  being  about  six  feet  long  by  three  wide,  and 
were  attached  to  the  rail  of  the  bulwarks  by  enormous 
hinges.  On  my  asking  for  what  purpose  they  were  in- 
tended, my  guide  again  laughed,  and  said  : 

"You  must  not  ask  too  many  questions,  my  friend, 
for  obvious  reasons.  In  this  case,  however,  and  since 
j'oii  have  given  your  word  not  to  tell  -(^hatyou  may  see, 
I  will  explain." 

Detaching  the  catch  of  one,  he  lifted  it  from  the 
deck  and  threw  it  over  the  side,  where  it  hung,  just 
reaching  to  the  toj)  of  tlie  copper  below  Avater. 

"  Do  you  grasp  the  idea  ?  "  lie  continued.  "  The  next 
one  fits  into  that,  and  the  next  one  into  tliat  again,  and 
so  on  all  round  the  boat.  You  see,  the}'  can  be  attached 
in  no  time,  and  when  they  are  once  fixed,  the  shape  of  the 
masts  altered,  the  funnel  differently  cased  or  done  away 
with  altogether,  the  character  of  her  bows  and  stern 
changed  beyond  recognition  by  another  appliance,  she 
can  be  three  different  crafts  inside  of  twenty-four  hours." 

Tliis  then  accounted  for  the  number  of  different 
vessels  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  was  supposed  to 
possess.  I  began  to  understand  the  marvellous  escapes 
more  clearly  now. 

"And  whose  idea  was  this  ingenious  invention?"! 
ventured  to  ask, 

"  Like  most  of  our  things,  her  ladyship's  own,"  he 
replied.     "  And  wonderfully  successful  it  has  proved." 

"  And  shall  I  be  presuming  too  much  on  your  good 
nature  if  I  seek  to  learn  something  of  the  lady  herself?" 


THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE  DEVIL.  43 

"  Ah  !  I'm  afraid  there  I  cannot  satisfy  your  cari- 
osity," he  answered,  sliaking  liis  head.  "  We  have  strict 
instructions  on  tliat  point,  and  there's  not  a  man  aboard 
this  ship  who  vahies  liis  life  so  little  as  to  dream  of  dis- 
obeying. One  piece  of  advice  I  will  give  j'ou,  how- 
evei",  foi'  the  sake  of  what  we  went  through  together 
yesterday.  Take  care  how  you  behave  towards  her.  In 
spite  of  her  quiet  demeanour  and  frank,  artless  manner, 
she  sees,  takes  in,  and  realises  the  motive  and  impor- 
tance of  everything  you  say  or  do.  If  you  act  fairly 
towards  her,  she  will  act  fairly  b}''  you  ;  but  if  you  play 
her  false  you're  a  dead  man.  Remember  that.  Now 
you  must  excuse  me  if  I  go  to  my  duties.  My  absence 
in  Hong  Kong  has  delayed  my  work  sadlj'.  And  there 
goes  eight  bells." 

As  the  silvery  voice  of  a  bell  chimed  out  from  the 
fo'c's'le,  he  left  me  and  went  below.  Hardly  knowing 
what  to  do  with  m3'self,  I  went  back  to  my  chair.  A 
tall  man  with  a  gray  beard  close-cropped,  sliarjD  glitter- 
ing eyes,  and  a  not  unhandsome  face,  marred,  however, 
by  what  looked  like  a  sabre  cut  extending  from  the  left 
temple  to  his  chin,  resigned  the  deck  to  another  officer 
and  went  below. 

While  the  watch  was  being  changed  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  examining  the  crew  ;  they  were  nearly  all 
natives,  smart,  intelligent-looking  fellows,  and  excellently 
disciplined.  Whether  they  were  Dj-aks  or  Malays, 
however,  I  had  not  sufficient  experience  to  determine, 
and,  for  more  than  one  reason,  I  did  not  like  to  ask. 

It  was  a  lovely  morning;  the  sea  was  as  blue  as  the 
sky,  a  fresh  wind  was  driving  the  schooner  along  at  an 
exhilarating  pace,  and,  looking  over  the  side  at  the  line 
4 


44  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

of  foam  extending  from  either  bow,  I  was  afforded  a 
very  good  idea  of  what  an  exceptional  sailor  the  Lone 
Star  really  was. 

Being  a  little  tired  after  my  perambulations,  I  lay 
back  in  my  chair,  and  shutting  my  eyes,  fell  to  ruminat- 
ing on  the  queer  trick  Fate  had  played  me.  So  far  I 
could  hardly  accejU  my  position  as  real.  It  was  difficult 
to  believe  that  I,  George  De  Normanville,  uuromantic, 
plodding  student  of  Guy's,— now  M.D.,  of  Cavendish 
Square,  London,  whose  sole  aim  in  life,  a  year  ago, 
had  been  to  put  a  brass  plate  upon  liis  front  door,  and 
collect  wealthy  hypochondriacal  lady  patients, — was  now 
medical  adviser  to  a  mysterious  female,  Avho  perambu- 
lated Eastern  waters  in  a  chameleon  craft,  blackmailing 
rajahs,  abducting  merchants,  levying  toll  on  mail  boats, 
and  bringing  down  on  her  devoted  head  the  wrath  of  all 
sorts  of  nations,  principalities,  and  powers.  And  then 
another  point  struck  me.  While  outwardh^  so  fair, 
what  sort  of  a  woman  wjas  she  at  heart  ?  From  Wal- 
worth's warning  I  had  gathered  that  I  must  be  careful 
in  my  dealings  with  her. 

But  at  that  moment  my  reverie  was  interrupted  by 
the  appearance  of  a  neatly-clad  steward,  who  in  broken 
English  presented  me  with  an  invitation  from  her  lady- 
ship to  tiffin  in  the  saloon  in  half  an  hour.  This  Avas 
an  unexpected  honour,  and  one  Avhich,  j^ou  may  be  sure,  I 
did  not  hesitate  to  accept.  I  wanted,  liowever,  to  make 
a  suitable  toilet  first,  but  where  to  do  it  puzzled  me,  for 
so  far  as  I  knew  no  cabin  had  yet  been  apportioned  to 
me.  I  placed  my  difficulty  before  an  officer  who  was 
standing  near  me.  lie  s^id  something  in  native  dialect 
to  the  steward,  who  replied,  and  then  turned  again  to  me. 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.  45 

"  Your  trajjs  have  been  placed  in  a  cabin  next  to  Mr. 
Walworth's,  he  says,  and  if  j'ou  will  follow  him  he  will 
conduct  you  to  it." 

I  followed  the  steward  down  the  main  companion  (I 
afterward  discovered  that  the  one  aft  was  sacred  to  her 
ladyship)  as  requested,  and  found  m3'self  in  a  large  mess- 
room,  in  which  three  officers  were  seated  at  lunch.  On 
either  side  a  number  of  fair-sized  berths  were  situated. 
The  one  set  apart  for  me  was  nearest  the  companion, 
and  contained  a  bunk,  a  small  settee  and  locker  com- 
bined, a  wash-hand  basin,  and  a  place  for  hanging 
clothes.  The  first  operation  Avas  to  shave,  a  bath  fol- 
lowed, to  which  another  steward  conducted  me,  after 
which  I  returned  to  my  berth,  dressed  my  wound,  and, 
having  selected  a  clean  suit  of  white  ducks,  attired  m}'- 
self  and  repaired  on  deck. 

Punctual  to  the  stroke  of  two  bells  (one  o'clock)  I  was 
summoned  to  the  after-saloon  by  my  first  messengei-.  I 
followed  him,  and  descending  the  companion,  the  scant- 
ling of  which  was  prettily  picked  out  in  white  and  gold, 
found  myself  in  her  ladyship's  own  quarters.  There 
was  no  one  present,  and  I  must  own  I  was  glad  of  that, 
for  I  wanted  an  opportunity  to  look  about  me.  In  the 
small  space  I  can  allot  to  it,  it  vrould  be  diificult  to  do 
adequate  justice  to  the  cabin  in  which  I  found  myself, 
but  for  the  better  understanding  of  m}^  story  I  must 
endeavour  to  give  you.some  description  of  it.  In  the  first 
place,  you  must  understand  tliat  the  companion-ladder 
opened  directly  into  the  saloon,  itself.  This  otherwise 
commonplace  effect,  was,  however,  rendered  most  artistic 
by  a  heavy  pile  of  carpet  which  covered  the  steps,  and 
by  the  curtains  which  draped  the  entrance  and  the  port- 


46  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

boles.  More  of  the  same  noiseless  carpet  covered  the 
floor,  while  light  was  supplied  from  ports  on  either 
side,  and  from  a  richly  decorated  skylight  in  the  deck 
above.  The  effect  of  the  thick  butt  of  the  mainmast 
was  entirely  taken  away  by  a  number  of  artfully  con- 
trived and  moulded  Japanese  mirrors,  which,  besides  ful- 
filling their  original  purpose,  gave  an  additional  air  of 
light  and  elegance  to  the  room.  The  walls,  which  were 
exquisitely  panelled  and  moulded  in  ivory  and  gold, 
were  loaded  with  bric-a-brac  of  every  description,  in- 
cluding much  china  and  many  pictures  of  rare  value, 
while  deep  chairs  and  couches,  Turkish  and  Indian 
divans,  piles  of  soft  cushions  and  furs  were  scattered 
about  here  and  there,  as  if  inviting  the  cabin's  occupants 
to  an  existence  of  continual  repose.  A  grand  piano 
stood  in  one  corner,  firmly  cleated  to  the  deck  ;  on  the 
bulkhead  above  it  was  an  exquisitely  inlaid  Spanish  gui- 
tar, and  a  Hungarian  zither,  while  above  them  again  were 
several  fine  specimens  of  the  old  Venetian  lute.  Alto- 
gether a  more  luxurious  and  beautifully  furnished  apart- 
ment it  has  never  been  my  good  fortune  to  behold,  and 
I  settled  myself  dowMi  in  a  comfortable  chair  prepared 
to  spend  a  really  critical  and  enjoyable  time.  Then  a 
daintily-bound  volume,  open  on  a  cushion  near  Avhere  I 
sat,  attracted  my  attention.  I  took  it  up  to  find  that  it 
was  a  volume  of  Heine's  poems  in  the  original. 

*'  So  my  lady  understands  German,  and  reads  Heine 
too,  does  she  ?  "  I  said  to  myself.     "  I  must " 

But  I  was  prevented  saying  what  I  would  do  by  the 
drawing  aside  of  a  curtain  that  covered  a  door  at  the 
further  end  of  the  saloon,  and  the  entrance  of  my  hostess 
herself.     If  she  were  capable  of  such  a  weakness,  my 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.  47 

astonishment  must  have  flattered  her,  for,  prepared  as  I 
was  to  see  a  beautiful  woman,  I  liad  no  idea  she  would 
prove  as  lovel}^  as  she  looked  tlieii.  She  had  discarded 
the  close-fitting  white  dress  she  had  worn  earlier  in  the 
day,  and  was  now  attired  in  some  soft  clinging  fabric  of 
a  dark  colour,  which  not  onl}'  brought  out  all  the  lines  of 
her  superb  figure,  but  rendered  her  even  more  attractive 
than  before.  There  must  have  been  a  quantity  of  jet 
scattered  about  the  costume,  for  I  was  conscious  of  a 
shimmering  sensation  wliich  accompanied  her  every 
movement.  She  carried  herself  with  a  truly  regal  air, 
and  I  had  a  better  opportunity  permitted  me  now  of  see- 
ing what  a  beautiful  face  it  really  was,  and  how  exqui- 
sitely her  head  was  set  upon  her  shoulders.  Her  liands 
and  feet  were  verj'  small,  so  was  lier  mouth,  while  her 
ears  were  like  shells  tucked  into  fragrant  nests  against 
her  head.  But  the  glory  that  eclipsed  all  others  was 
the  wealth  of  golden  hair  that  crowned  her.  Such 
hair  I  have  never  seen  before  or  since.  It  seemed  to 
have  caught  all  the  sunshine  of  the  world  and  to  be  jeal- 
ous of  dispersing  it  again. 

Once  more,  as  if  to  afford  as  great  a  contrast  as  pos- 
sible to  so  much  loveliness,  the  same  ferocious  bulldog 
followed  at  her  heels,  and,  when  she  approached  me, 
stood  regarding  me  with  calmly  scrutinising  eyes. 

"  "Welcome  to  my  cabin,  Dr.  De  Normanville,"  she 
said,  coming  over  to  me  and  holding  out  her  tiny  hand 
with  a  frank  gesture.  "I  am  delighted  to  see  that  you 
are  looking  so  much  better." 

"  I'm  feeling  quite  strong  again,  thank  you,"  I  an- 
swered, completely  carried  away  by  the  charm  of  her 
manner.     "  I  cannot  think  what  made  me  break  down 


48  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

ill  that  undignified  fasliion.  Iln  afraid  you  will  despise 
me  for  giving  such  an  exhibition  of  weakness." 

She  seated  herself  in  a  deep  chair  beside  me  and 
slowly  fanned  herself  with  a  black  ostrich  plume,  at  the 
same  time  stroking  the  dog's  ugly  head  with  her  little 
foot. 

"  I  don't  really  see  why  I  should,"  she  said  seriousl}^, 
after  a  moment's  pause.  "  You  must  have  had  a  terrible 
time  on  that  horrible  junk.  I  feel  as  if  I  was  personally 
to  blame  for  it.  However,  I  shall  have  more  to  say  on 
that  subject  later  ;  in  tlie  meantime  let  us  be  thankful 
that  you  came  out  of  it  as  safely  as  you  did.  I  do  not 
like  the  Chinese  !  " 

I  saw  a  little  shudder  sweep  over  her  as  she  said  this, 
so  to  turn  the  conversation  into  a  pleasanter  channel,  I 
commented  on  the  sailing  qualities  of  her  schooner. 
The  subject  evidently  pleased  her,  for  her  eyes  sparkled 
with  a  new  light. 

"  There  is  no  boat  like  her  in  the  wide,  wide  world," 
she  cried  enthusiastically.  "  I  had  her  built  for  me  on 
my  own  lines,  and  I  have  tried  her  on  every  wind,  and 
in  every  sea,  till  I  have  come  to  know  her  better  than 
a  rider  knows  his  horse.  She  is  the  most  beautiful  and 
the  swiftest  craft  in  the  world.  And  there  are  times, 
Dr.  De  Normanville," — here  she  sank  her  voice  a  little, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  it  trembled, — "  when  it  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  me  that  I  should  move  quickly. 
She  has  saved  my  life  not  once,  but  a  hundred  times. 
Can  you  wonder,  therefore,  that  I  love  her  ?  But  I'm 
afraid  j'ou  are  too  prejudiced  against  me  to  have  much 
sympathy  in  my  escapes." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  think  so.     I " 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.  49 

"  Forgive  my  iiiteiTupting  you.  But  don't  you  tliink 
it  would  be  better  if  we  sat  down  to  table  instead  of 
discussing  my  unfortunate  self  ?  " 

She  pressed  an  electric  bell  in  the  woodwork  by  her 
side  and  ordered  tiffin.  When  it  was  served  we  went 
over  to  the  table  and  the  meal  commenced. 

I  am  not  going  to  tell  you  what  we  ate,  for,  to  con- 
fess the  honest  truth,  within  half  an  hour  I  had  for- 
gotten what  it  was  m3'self.  I  only  know  that  it  was 
admirably  cooked  and  served.  As  it  proceeded  we 
chatted  on  various  minor  matters,  literature  of  all  na- 
tions, music  and  painting,  and  it  was  not  until  we  had 
finished,  and  the  cloth  had  been  removed  and  we  were 
alone  together,  that  my  hostess  touched  upon  the  reason 
of  ni}''  presence  on  board. 

"  You  know,  of  course,  Dr.  De  Normanville,"  she 
said,  ensconcing  herself  in  a  big  chair  when  we  had  left 
the  table,  "  wliy  I  sent  for  j'ou  ?  " 

"  It  was  explained  to  me  by  your  messenger.  But  I 
must  confess  I  do  not  quite  understand  it  yet.  He  said 
something  about  an  island." 

"And  he  was  quite  right.  An  outbreak  of  small-pox 
has  occurred  on  the  island  which  I  make  my  depot. 
Where  that  island  is,  I  cannot  of  course  tell  you.  But 
3"ou  will  see  it  for  yourself  soon  enough.  In  the  mean- 
time I  may  inform  you  that  the  havoc  wrought  by  the 
disease  has  been  terrible,  and  it  was  only  when  I  found 
that  I  could  make  no  headway  against  it  myself  that  I 
determined  to  send  to  Hong  Kong  for  assistance.  To 
get  hold  of  you  was  a  piece  of  good  fortune  I  did  not 
expect." 

I  bowed  ray  acknowledgment  of  the  compliment  she 


50  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

paid  me,  and  asked  if  she  herself  had  been  much  among 
the  cases. 

"  Why,  of  course  !  "  she  answered.  "  M}^  poor  peojilc 
call  me  their  mother,  and  naturall}^  turn  to  me  for 
assistance  in  their  trouble.  It  went  to  my  very  heart 
not  to  be  able  to  helj)  them." 

"But  were  you  quite  Avise,  do  you  think,  to  run  so 
much  risk?" 

"  I  did  not  think  of  myself  at  all.  How  could  I  ? 
Do  you  think  of  the  risk  you  run  when  you  are  called 
in  to  an  infectious  case  ?" 

"I  take  all  proper  precaution,  at  least.  "When  were 
you  vaccinated  last,  may  I  ask  ?  " 

"In  Rome,  in  June,  1883." 

"  Then,  with  your  permission,  I'll  do  it  again,  and  at 
once.     You  cannot  be  too  careful." 

Receiving  her  assent  I  went  off  to  my  cabin,  where  I 
had  noticed  that  a  large  portion  of  my  medical  outfit 
had  been  stored,  and  having  obtained  what  I  sought, 
returned  with  it  to  tlie  saloon.  Alie,  for  by  tliat  name 
I  must  henceforward  call  her,  was  waiting  for  me,  her 
arm  bared  to  tlie  shoulder.  Never,  if  I  live  to  be  a 
hundred,  shall  I  forget  the  impression  that  snow-white 
arm  made  upon  me.  It  seemed  like  an  act  of  basest 
sacrilege  to  perform  even  such  a  simple  operation  upon 
it.  Beelzebub,  the  bulldog,  evidently  thought  so  too, 
for  lie  watched  me  attentively  enough  during  the  whole 
of  the  time  it  took  me.  However,  it  had  to  be  done, 
and  done  it  accordingly  was.  Then,  wlien  I  had  put  my 
paraphernalia  back  into  its  case,  I  bade  her  good-bye, 
and  turned  to  go.  Slie  stopped  me,  however,  and  held 
out  her  hand. 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.  SI 

"Do  3'ou  know,  Dr.  De  Normanville,  I  want  to  make 
3'ou  like  me,  I  want  j'oii  to  forget,  if  3'oii  can, — wbile 
3'oti  are  with  us,  at  an^'-  rate, — the  stories  you  liave 
lieard  about  me.  Some  day,  perhaps,  I  will  attempt  to 
show  you  that  I  am  not  altogether  as  bad  as  people 
have  painted  me." 

For  the  moment  I  was  so  completely  carried  away  by 
her  outbui'st  of  girlish  frankness  that  I  hardly  knew 
what  to  sa}'. 

"  'Pon  my  soul,  I  really  don't  believe  you  are  !  "  I 
blurted  out,  like  a  schoolbo3\ 

"Thank  you  for  tliat,  at  least,"  she  said,  smiling  at 
ray  earnestness  ;  and  then,  making  me  a  little  curtsey, 
she  turned  and  disappeared  through  the  door  by  which 
she  had  first  entered  the  saloon. 

Putting  my  case  into  my  pocket,  I  looked  round  the 
room  once  more,  and  then  went  up  on  deck,  not  know- 
ing what  to  thiidc.  It  seemed  impossible  to  believe 
that  this  frank,  beautiful  girl,  whose  e^^es  were  so 
steady  and  true,  whose  voice  had  such  a  genume,  hearty 
ring  in  it,  could  be  the  notorious  criminal  of  whom  all 
the  East  Avas  talking.  And  ^^^t  without  a  shadow  of  a 
doubt  it  was  so.  And  if  it  came  to  that,  what  Avas  I-, 
staid,  respectable  George  De  Xormanville,  doing,  but 
aiding  and  abetting  her  in  her  nefarious  career  ?  True, 
I  might  salve  ni}^  conscience  with  the  knowledge  that  I 
had  been  drawn  into  it  unconsciously',  and  vfas  only  act- 
ing in  the  interests  of  humanit}^  but  it  was  nevertheless 
a  fact,  and  one  that  I  could  not  have  disputed  if  I  had 
wanted  to,  that  I  was  the  paid  servant  of  the  Beautiful 
White  Devil. 

It  was  just  two  bells  in  the  first  dog  watch  when  I 


52  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL, 

came  on  deck,  and  hard  upon  sundown.  The  great 
round  sun,  which  had  been  so  busy  all  day  long,  now 
rested  in  a  bed  of  opal  cloud  scarcely  a  hand's  breadth 
above  the  edge  of  the  liorizon.  The  breeze  had  moder- 
ated, since  midday,  and  now  the  water  around  us  Avas 
almost  without  a  ripple,  but  glorified  with  flakes  and 
blotches  of  almost  every  colour  known  to  man.  Near 
at  hand  it  was  a  mixture  of  lemon  and  silver,  a  little 
further  almost  a  lilac-purple,  further  still  a  touch  of 
])ale  heliotrope  meeting  salmon-pink  and  old  goid,  while 
under  the  sun  itself  a  blotch  of  red,  fierce  as  a  clot  of 
blood,  worked  through  the  cloud  till  it  got  back  to 
gold,  then  to  salmon-pink,  then  through  purple  up 
again  to  the  lemon  and  silver  sky.  It  was  a  wonder- 
ful sunset,  and  a  fitting  termination  to  an  extraordinary 
day. 

After  dinner,  of  which  I  partook  in  the  ofiicer's  mess- 
room,  I  returned  to  the  deck.  It  was  nearly  eight 
o'clock,  cwl  as  fine  a  night  as  I  had  seen  since  I  came 
into  the  East.  Lighting  a  cigar  I  walked  aft,  and,  lean- 
ing upon  the  taffrail,  scanned  the  quiet  sea.  Situated  as 
I  was,  it  is  not  to  be  wandered  at  that  a  variety  of 
thoughts  thronged  my  brain.  I  tried  to  think  what  my 
dear  old  mother  would  have  said  could  she  have  seen 
the  position  ray  over-rash  acceptance  of  a  tempting 
offer  had  placed  me  in.  From  my  mother,  who,  with 
my  father,  had  been  dead  nearly  five  years,  my  thoughts 
passed  on  to  other  relatives — to  a  girl  whom  I  had  once 
thought  I  loved,  but  who  had  jilted  me  in  favour  of  a 
brother  student.  The  old  heartache  was  almost  gone 
now,  but  it  had  been  a  most  unfortunate  affair ;  since 
then,  however,  I    flattered  myself,  I    had    been  hejftt- 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.  53 

whole,  and  I  deluded  myself  with  the  notion  that  I  was 
likely  to  remain  so. 

Since  dinner  the  breeze  had  freshened,  and  the 
schooner,  with  all  sail  set,  was  now  slipping  swiftly 
through  the  water,  I  turned,  and,  leaning  against  the 
rail,  looked  aloft  at  the  stretch  of  canvas  which  seemed 
to  reach  up  almost  to  the  stars,  then  back  again  at  tlie 
wake  and  the  wonderful  exhibition  of  phosphorised 
water  below  the  counter. 

Suddenly  I  became  aware  of  someone  standing  by  my 
side,  and  turning  my  head,  I  discovered  it  was  none 
other  than  the  Beautiful  AVhite  Devil  herself.  She  was 
still  dressed  in  black,  with  a  sort  of  mantilla  of  soft  lace 
draped  about  her  head. 

"  What  a  supreme  fascination  there  is  about  the  sea  at 
night,  isn't  there?"  she  said  softly, looking  down  at  the 
sparkling  water.  I  noticed  the  beauty  of  the  little  white 
hand  upon  the  rail  as  I  replied  in  appropriate  terms. 

"I  never  can  look  at  it  enough,"  she  continued  almost 
unconsciousl3^  "  Oh,  you  black,  mysterious,  unfathom- 
able depths,  what  future  do  you  hold  for  me  ?  My  fate 
is  wrapped  up  in  j'ou.  I  was  born  on  j^ou  ;  I  was 
brought  up  on  you  ;  and  if  my  fate  holds  good,  I  shall 
die  and  be  buried  in  you." 

"At  any  rate,  you  need  give  no  thought  to  that 
contingency  for  very  many  years  to  come,"  I  answered 
bluntly.  "  Besides,  what  possible  reason  can  you  have 
for  thinking  you  will  end  your  days  at  sea?" 

"  I  don't  know.  Dr.  De  Normanville.  It  would  puzzle 
me  to  tell  you.  But  I  feel  as  certain  of  finding  my  grave 
in  the  waves  as  I  am  that  I  shall  be  alive  to-morrow  ! 
You  don't  know  what  the  sea  has  been  to  me.     She  has 


64  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

been  mj  good  and  my  evil  genius.  I  love  Lei"  in  every 
raood,  and  I  don't  tliink  I  could  hope  for  a  better  end 
than  to  be  buried  in  her  breast.  Oh,  you  beautiful, 
beautiful  water,  how  I  love  you — how  I  love  you  ! " 

As  she  spoke  she  stretched  her  arms  out  to  where  the 
Ktars  were  paling  in  anticipation  of  the  rising  moon. 
In  any  other  woman  such  a  gesture  would  have  been 
theatrical  and  uin-eal  in  the  extreme.  But  in  her  case 
it  seemed  only  what  one  might  expect  from  such  a  glorious 
creature. 

"There  is  somebody,"  she  continued,  *' wlio  says  that 
'the  sea  belongs  to  Eteruit}',  and  not  Time,  and  of  tliat 
it  sings  its  monotonous  song  for  ever  and  ever.'  " 

"That  is  a  very  beautiful  idea,"  I  answered,  "but 
don't  j^ou  think  there  are  others  that  fullj^  equal  it? 
What  do  3'ou  say  to  '  The  sea  comj^lains  upon  a  thou- 
sand sliores '  ?  " 

"Or  your  English  poet  Wordsworth,  'Tiie  sea  that 
bares  lier  bosom  to  the  wind  '  ?  " 

"Let  me  meet  jow  with  an  American:  'The  sea 
tosses  and  foams  to  find  its  way  up  to  tlie  cloud  and 
wind.'  Could  any  tiling  be  finer  tlian  that?  There  you 
have  the  true  picture — the  ntter  restlessness  and  tlie 
striving  of  the  untamed  sea." 

"  '  Would'st  thou,'  so  that  helmsman  answered, 
'  Learn  the  secret  of  the  sea  ? 
Only  those  who  brave  its  dangers 
Comprehend  its  mystery  ! ' " 

"  Bravo  !     That  caps  all." 

For  some  seconds  my  companion  stood  silent,  gazing 
across  the  deep.     Then  she  said,  very  softly  : 


THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEYIL.  55 

"And  who  is  better  able  to  speak  about  its  dangers 
than  I,  whose  home  it  is?  Dr,  De  Normanville,  I  think 
if  I  were  to  tell  you  some  of  the  dangers  througli  which 
I  have  passed  you  would  hardly  believe  me." 

"I  think  I  could  believe  anything  j^ou  told  mc." 

"I  rather  doubt  it.  You  see,  you  have  no  idea  what 
an  extraordinary  existence  mine  is.  Why  !  ray  life  is 
one  long  battle  with  despair.  I  am  like  a  hunted 
animal  flying  before  that  hell-hound,  man.  Do  you 
know  how  near  I  was  to  being  caught  once  ?  Let  me 
tell  you  about  it,  and  see  if  it  will  convey  any  idea  to 
you.  It  was  in  Singapore,  and  I  Avas  dining  at  the 
house  of  a  prominent  police  ofiicial,  as  the  friend' of  his 
wife.  I  had  met  her  some  months  before  under  peculiar 
circumstances,  and  we  had  become  intimate.  During 
the  meal  my  host  spoke  of  the  Beautiful  AYhite  Devil, 
and  commented  on  her  audacity.  '  However,  we  have 
at  last  received  a  clue  concerning  her,'  he  said.  '  She 
is  not  far  away  from  Singapore  at  the  present  moment, 
and  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  in  forty-eight 
hours  she  will  be  in  our  hands.'  I  had  a  full  glass  of 
champ^y^ne  in  my  hand  at  the  moment,  and  it  is  a 
compliment  to  the  strength  of  my  nerves  to  say  that  I 
raised  it  to  my  lips,  before  answering  him,  without  spill- 
ing one  drop." 

"And  did  he  never  suspect?" 

"No,  indeed.  To  tell  the  trutli,  I  doubt  if  he  knows 
to  this  day  how  close  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  really 
was  to  him.  Yet  one  moment's  hesitation  might  have 
cost  me  my  life.  Another  time  I  attended  a  Viceregal 
ball  in  Colombo  in  the  capacity  of  an  heiress  from  Eng- 
land.    In  the  middle  of  the  evening  the  partner  Avith 


56  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL. 

whom  I  was  dancing,  a  3' oung  inspector  of  police,  apolo- 
gised for  having  to  leave  me.  He  said  lie  had  received 
information  concerning  the  Beautiful  White  Devil,  who 
was  known  to  be  in  the  town.  During  supper  he  had 
been  telling  mp  about  his  jjrospects,  and  tlie  girl  who 
was  coming  out  from  England  to  marry  him  when  he 
got  his  step.  'It  will  be  a  good  thing  for  you  if  you 
catch  this  woman,  won't  it  ? '  I  inquired.  '  It  will  get 
me  promotion,  and  that  will  mean  the  greatest  happiness 
of  my  life — my  marriage  ! '  he  answered.  '  Won't  you 
wish  me  luck  ? '  I  did  wish  him  luck,  and  then  went  off 
to  dance  the  lancers  with  His  Excellency  the  Governor." 

"Do  you  think  it  wise  to  run  such  awful  risks?"  I 
asked,  amazed  at  her  audacity. 

"Perhaps  not ;  but  in  that  particular  case  I  could  not 
help  myself.  I  stood  in  need  of  some  important  infor- 
mation, and  could  trust  nobody  to  obtain  it  but  myself." 

"It  must  have  been  a  terrible  five  minutes  for  you." 

"  Yes  ;  I  almost  fainted  after  the  dance.  His  Excel- 
lency apologised  profusely  for  the  heat  of  the  room." 

As  she  finished  speaking,  the  moon  lifted  her  head 
above  the  horizon,  and  little  by  little  rose  into  the  cloud- 
less sky.  Under  her  glamour  the  sea  became  a  floor  of 
frosted  silver,  till  even  the  spangled  glory  of  the  phos- 
phorus was  taken  from  the  curdling  Avake. 

"  I  expect  you  have  been  told  some  very  curious 
stories  about  me,  Dr.  De  Normanville  ?  "  mj'  companion 
said,  after  a  little  while.  "  I  wish  I  could  induce  3'ou  to 
tell  me  what  you  have  heard.  Believe  me,  I  have  a 
very  good  reason  for  wanting  you  to  know  the  truth 
about  me." 

"That  is  easily  told,"  I  answered.     "  I  have  heard  a 


THE   BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL.  57 

great  many  variations  of  the  same  story,  but  knowing 
liow  news  travels  out  here,  I  liave  phacecl  very  little  cre- 
dence in  any  of  them." 

"You  have  heard,  perhaps,  about  the  Sultan  of 
Surabaya  ?  " 

1  intimated  tl'at  I  had. 

"  At  first  you  must  have  thought  that  rather  a  cruel 
action  on  my  part.  And  j-et,  if  you  knew  all,  your 
blame  would  probably  turn  to  admiration.  You  do  not 
know,  perhaps,  what  a  character  that  man  bore  in  his 
own  state,  the  life  he  led,  his  excesses,  his  constant 
crimes,  his  tyranny  over  his  unfortunate  subjects.  I  tell 
3'ou,  sir,  that  that  man  was,  and  is,  one  of  the  greatest 
scoundrels  upon  the  face  of  this  earth,  I  had  heard 
over  and  over  again  of  him,  and  when  I  discovered  that 
his  people  could  obtain  no  redress  for  their  grievances, 
I  determined  to  meet  him  on  his  own  ground.  I 
arranged  my  plans  accordingly,  abducted  him,  made 
him  disgorge  a  large  sum  of  money,  half  of  which  I 
caused  to  be  anonymously  distributed  amongst  the  poor 
wretches  he  had  robbed,  and  at  the  same  time  told  him 
his  character  for  the  first  and  only  time  in  his  heathen 
existence,  promising  him  as  1  did  so  that  if  he  did  not 
mend  his  ways,  I'd  catch  him  a^ain  and  silence  him  for 
ever.  Punishment  was  surel3'^lbver  more  fitly  earned. 
Then  there  was  a  merchant  in  Hong  Kong,  by  name 
Vesey.  I  expect  you  have  heard  of  him  and  the  trick 
I  played  him?     Well,  that  man  made  an  assertion  about 

me  in  a  public  place  to  the  effect  that  I  Avas But 

never  mind  what  it  Avas,  It  was  so  vile  that  I  cannot  re- 
peat it  to  you,  but  I  made  a  vow  I  would  be  revenged  on 
him  for  it,  sooner  or  later,     I  teas  revenged,  and  in  the 


68  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

only  way  lie  could  be  made  to  feel — that  is,  tlirougli  bis 
banker.  He  will  never  forgive  me,  of  course.  Now, 
wliat  else  have  you  beard  ?  " 

"  Pardon  my  alluding  to  it,"  I  said,  "  but — the  VecHs 
Queen — tbe  Oodnadatta.'''' 

"  So  you  have  beard  of  those  affairs?  Well,  I  do  not 
deny  them.  I  must  have  money.  Look  at  the  expenses 
I  have  to  meet.  Look  at  this  boat — think  of  the  settle- 
ment I  maintain,  of  the  hundreds  of  pensioners  I  have  all 
through  tbe  East,  of  the  number  of  people  whose  ser- 
vices it  is  necessary  for  me  to  retain.  And,  pray  do 
not  misunderstand  me.  To  you  it  may  seem  that  such 
transactions  make  me  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  thief 
— a  common  cheat  and  swindler.  In  your  e^-es  I  may 
be  that,  but  I  must  own  I  do  not  look  upon  it  in  the 
same  light  myself.  I  am,  and  have  been  all  my  life,  at 
war  with  what  you  call  Society — the  reason  I  may  per- 
haps explain  to  you  some  day.  I  know  tbe  risk  I  run. 
If  Society  catches  me,  in  all  probability  my  life  will  pay 
the  forfeit.  I  know  that,  and  I  am  naturally  resolved 
not  to  be  caught.  One  thing  is  certain,  I  prey  only  on 
those  who  can  afford  to  lose,  and,  like  the  freebooters 
of  romance,  I  make  it  my  boast  that  I  have  never  know- 
ingly robbed  a  poor  man,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  I 
have  materially  assist^  many.  There  are  those,  of 
course,  who  judge  me  harshly.  Heaven  forbid  that 
they  ever  find  themselves  in  the  ppsition  in  which  I  am 
placed  !  Think  of  it  !  I  am  hunted  by  all  men — every 
man's  hand  is  against  me  ;  I  am  cut  off  from  country 
and  friends  ;  a  price  is  put  upon  my  head,  and  for  that 
reason  I  am  obliged  to  distrust  everyone  on  principle. 
Think  of  having  the  knowledge  continually  before  you 


TPIE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.  59 

that  if  you  are  not  constantly  on  tlie  watch  you  may  be 
caught.     And  tlien " 

"  And  then  ?  " 

I  heard  lier  grind  her  little  white  teeth  viciously. 

"There  -will  be  no  then,  Dr.  Do  Xormanville,  so  we 
need  not  talk  of  it  ;  while  I  live  they  will  never  catch 
me,  and  when  I  am  dead  it  cf/nnot  matter  who  lias  pos- 
session of  my  body.     Good-night  !  " 

Before  I  could  answer  she  had  left  me  and  vanished 
don'n  the  companion  ladder.  I  turned  to  the  sea  and 
my  own  thoughts.  The  ship's  bell  struck  four  (ten 
o'clock),  the  lookout  at  the  fo'c's'le-head  cried,  "  All's 
well  ! "  silence  reigned,  a  wonderful  quiet  broken  only 
by  the  humming  of  the  breeze  in  the  shrouds,  and  the 
tinkling  of  the  water  alongside.  I  leant  against  the  rail 
and  considered  the  life  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil 
as  I  had  heard  it  from  her  own  lips. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  DOME  OP  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

The  sun  next  morning  liacl  scarcely  made  his  appear- 
ance wlien  I  awoke  to  a  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  the 
yacht  ■was  stationary.  Such  a  circumstance  could  have 
but  one  meaning  :  we  had  arrived  at  our  destination. 
As  soon,  therefore,  as  this  idea  became  properly 
impressed  upon  my  mind,  I  sprang  from  my  bunk,  made 
for  the  port-hole,  and,  drawing  back  the  little  curtain 
that  covered  it,  gazed  out  upon  the  world.  And  what 
a  picture  met  my  eager  eyes  !  What  a  scene  to  paint  in 
Avords  or  pigments  !  But  oh,  how  difficult !  If  I  were 
a  literary  craftsman  of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  I 
might  possibly  be  able  to  give  you  some  dim  impression 
of  what  I  saw.  But  being  only  an  amateur  word-painter 
of  the  sorriest  sort,  I  verj^  much  fear  it  is  a  task  beyond 
my  capabilities.  However,  for  the  sake  of  my  story,  I 
suppose  I  must  trj'. 

To  begin  wath,  you  must  endeavour  to  imagine  a  small 
harbour,  at  most  half  a  mile  long  by  three-quarters  wide, 
having  upon  the  side  towards  which  I  looked  a  wide 
plateau  extending  almost  to  the  sands  that  fringe  the 
water's  edge.  Picture  this  tableland,  or  plateau,  as  I 
have  called  it,  backed  by  a  tall,  forest-crowned  hill, 
almost  a  mountain,  which  soars  up  and  up  a  couple  of 
thousand  feet  or  more  Into  the  azure  sky;  Avhile  peering 
out  of  the  jungle  that  ornaments  its  base  may  be  seen 

CO 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  AVHITE  DEVIL.      61 

tlie  white  roofs  of  houses,  with,  liere  and  tliero,  the 
thatch  of  a  native  hut  of  tlie  kind  usually  met  with  on 
the  west  coast  of  Borneo  and  the  islands  thereabout. 

So  strikingly  beautiful  was  the  view,  and  so  great  was 
my  curiosity  to  examine  for  m^'self  this  home  of  the 
Beautiful  White  Devil,  for  such  I  could  not  help  feeling 
convinced  it  was,  that  I  dressed  with  all  possible  speed 
and  repaired  on  deck. 

From  this  point  of  vantage  the  prospect  was  even 
more  pleasingly  picturesque  than  it  had  been  from  the 
port-hole  of  my  cabin. 

All  round  us  tlie  water  was  smooth  as  green  glass, 
and  so  wonderfully  transparent  that,  on  leaning  over  the 
starboard  bulwark,  I  could  plainly  discern  the  flaking  of 
the  sand  at  the  bottom  and  the  brilliant  colours  of  the 
snout-nosed  fishes  as  they  swam  past,  at  least  a  dozen 
fathoms  below  the  surface. 

To  my  surprise  the  harbour  was  entirely  landlocked, 
and,  though  I  searched  for  some  time,  I  could  discern  no 
opening  in  the  amphitheatre  of  hills  through  which  a 
vessel  of  even  the  smallest  size  could  pass  in  from  the 
sea.  But  being  more  taken  up  with  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  tlie  bay  than  its  harbour  facilities,  I  did  not 
puzzle  over  this  for  very  long. 

So  still  was  the  morning  that  the  smoke  of  the  huts 
ashore  went  up  straight  and  true  into  the  air,  the  pale 
blue  contrasting  admirably  with  the  varied  greens  of  the 
foliage  out  of  which  it  rose.  Overhead,  and  around  us, 
flocks  of  gulls,  of  kinds  hitherto  unknown  to  me,- wheeled 
and  screamed,  while  at  intervals  gorgeously-plumed 
parrots  flew  across  our  bows  from  shore  to  shore.  Once 
a  small  green  bird,  apparently  of  the  finch  tribe,  settled 


62  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

on  tbe  foreyard  foot-rope,  and  a  little  later  a  tiny 
sand-piper  came  aboard,  and  hopped  about  the  fo'c's'le 
as  calmly  as  if  he  had  been  doing  nothing  else  all  his 
life. 

When  first  I  came  on  deck,  with  the  exception  of  the 
cook  in  his  galley,  not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen.  But  pres- 
ently, while  I  was  watching  the  antics  of  the  bird  I 
have  just  described,  my  old  acquaintance  Walworth 
joined  me  at  the  rail,  and  laid  himself  out  for  conver- 
sation. 

"Doctor,"  he  said,  "I  want  you  to  tell  me  candidly, 
if,  in  all  your  experience  of  the  world,  you  have  ever 
looked  upon  a  fairer  scene  than  that  you  have  before 
you  now  ?  " 

"No;  I  don't  think  I  have,"  I  answered.  "It  is 
marvellously  beautiful,  but  all  the  same,  I  must  own  one 
or  two  things  about  it  rather  puzzle  me." 

"And  what  are  they?" 

"  Well !  in  the  first  place,  since  I  can  see  no  opening 
in  the  hills,  how  did  we  get  in  here  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  you  have  been  thinking  about  that,  have  you  ? 
Well,  to  save  you  any  further  trouble  on  that  score,  let 
me  tell  yon  that  if  you  were  to  look  for  a  hundred  years 
from  where  you  stand  now  3'ou  would  not  be  able  to  dis- 
cover it.  And,  unless  her  ladyship  gives  permission,  it 
Avould  be  as  much  as  my  life  is  Avorth  for  me  to  tell  you. 
"Now  for  your  second  question  ?" 

"  Well,  I  can  see,  sa}^,  a  dozen  huts,  all  told,  over 
yonder,"  I  answered.  "  Surely  they  don't  constitute 
the  settlement  of  which  you  spoke  to  me  ?" 

"  No  ;  they  do  not.  Those  you  see  over  there  are 
only  the  outlying  portions  of  the  village,  meant  to  de- 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.     63 

ceive  the  crew  of  any  vessel  wl>o  might  land  and  find 
their  way  in  here  ;  the  real  place  itself  lies  five  miles 
inland,  round  that  hill,  through  the  gap  you  can  just 
make  out  alongside  that  bit  of  terra-cotta  coloured  cliff 
yonder." 

"  I  see  !  And  now,  to  change  the  subject.  With  re- 
gard to  that  Ij'mph  you  procured  for  me  in  Hong  Kong, 
where  is  it  ?  " 

"  It  has  already  been  sent  to  your  bungalow  with 
the  rest  of  the  medical  paraphernalia  we  brought 
with   us." 

"  And  her  ladyship  ?  " 

"  Went  ashore  as  soon  as  we  came  to  anchor.  If  I 
mistake  not  that's  her  boat  coming  off  to  us  now." 

As  he  spoke,  a  large  white  surf-boat  put  oft'  from  the 
beach,  and,  under  the  sturdy  arms  of  her  crew,  came 
swiftly  across  the  stretch  of  blue  towards  us.  As  she 
ranged  alongside,  I  carefully  examined  the  men  rowing. 
They  were  of  medium  size,  and  evidently  of  the  Dyak 
race,  being  taller  than  the  average  Malay,  and  inclining 
more  to  the  build  of  the  Solomon  Islander  than  to  any 
other  class  I  could  think  of.  The}''  were  bright,  in- 
telligent-looking fellows,  and  evidently  well  cared  for. 
As  soon  as  the}^  had  hitched  on  to  the  gangway,  the 
coxswain  came  aboai'd,  and  said  something  in  native  to 
my  companion,  who,  in  reply,  pointed  to  me. 

Thereupon  the  man  drew  a  note  from  his  turban,  and 
handed  it  to  me  with  the  confidence  and  easy  bearing  of 
one  gentleman  rendering  a  service  to  another.  It  was 
addressed  in  Alie's  handwriting. 

Though  a  considerable  time  has  elapsed  since  ray 
receipt    of  that  little   note,    I    can   plainly  recall   the 


64  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

thrill  that  went  through  rac  as  I  opened  it.     It  ran  as 
follows  : 

Dear  Dr.  De  Normanville  : 

I  beg  you  will  forgive  my  not  remaining  on  board  to  welcome 
you  to  my  home,  but  as  you  will  readily  imagine  I  was  most  anx- 
ious to  see  for  myself,  at  once,  how  things  were  progressing 
ashore.  Unfortunately,  however,  I  have  nothing  favourable  to 
report.  Will  you  come  and  breakfast  with  me  immediately  on 
receipt  of  this  ?  My  coxswain  will  show  you  the  way.  Then, 
afterward,  I  could  take  you,  myself,  round  the  settlement. 
With  very  kind  regards. 

Believe  me,  truly  your  friend. 

Alee. 

I  thrust  the  note  into  my  poclcet,  and  having  told 
Walworth  what  I  was  about  to  do,  went  below  to  my 
cabin  to  prepare  for  my  excursion.  Then  returning  to 
the  deck  I  descended  into  the  boat  alongside,  and  we 
set  off  for  the  shore.  As  we  rowed  I  was  able  to  look 
back  and  observe,  for  the  first  time,  the  proportions 
and  symmetry  of  the  beautiful  craft  I  had  just  left. 

Indeed,  a  prettier  picture  than  the  Lone  Star  pre- 
sented at  that  moment  could  not  possibly  be  imagined. 
Iler  tall  masts  and  rigging  showed  out  clear-cut  against 
the  blue  sk}^  while  her  exquisitel3^-modelled  hull  was 
reflected,  Avith  mirror-like  distinotness,  in  the  placid 
water  around  her  ;  the  brasswork  upon  her  binnacle 
and  wheel  shone  like  burnished  gold,  and  so  clear  was 
the  water,  that  the  whole  of  her  bright  copper  sheath- 
ing, and  even  the  outline  of  her  keel,  could  plainly  be 
distinguished. 

Within  five  minutes  of  leaving  her,  our  coxswain 
Lad   deftly  brought  us  alongside  a  small,  but   neatly- 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.     65 

constructed,  wooden  jettj.  Here  I  disembarked,  and, 
escorted  by  tliat  amiable  individual,  set  off  at  once  on 
our  journey  to  the  dwelling  of  my  mysterious  hostess. 

Leaving  the  white,  sandy  foreshore  of  the  bay,  we 
passed  by  a  well  made  track  through  the  forest  in  a  due 
norther]}^  direction.  And  such  a  forest  as  it  M-as  ! 
Such  wealth  of  timber,  such  varieties  of  woods,  shrubs, 
creepers,  orchids,  and  flowers.  On  one  hand,  perhaps,  an 
iron  tree  of  imperial  growth  would  tower  above  us  ;  on 
another  an  enormous  teak,  with  here  and  there  the  curious 
leaves  and  twisted  outline  of  a  gutta-percha — all  mixed 
up  with  j^ipa  palms,  camphor  trees,  canes  and  bamboos 
of  every  possible  hue  and  description.  From  tree  to 
tree,  across  our  path,  birds  of  ail  kinds,  including  paddi 
birds,  green  pigeons,  flycatchers,  barbets,  and  sunbirds 
flew  with  discordant  cries,  while  not  once,  but  more 
often  than  I  could  count,  hordes  of  monkeys  swung 
themselves  wildly  from  branch  to  branch  overhead, 
chattering  and  calling  to  each  other  as  if  the  whole 
wide  world  were  there  to  applaud  their  antics.  Our 
path  was  indeed  a  varied  one  ;  one  moment  we  were 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  the  forest,  the  next  we  were 
out  on  the  bare  face  of  the  hill  looking  down  uj^on  the 
tops  of  trees.  The  bright  sunshine  flooded  everything  ; 
while  the  fresh  breeze  from  the  sea  was  just  cool  enough 
to  make  the  exertion  of  walking  pleasant.  Indeed,  so 
enjoyable  was  it,  that  I  was  almost  sorry  when  we  left 
the  forest  for  the  last  time  and  emerged  on  to  a  small 
plain,  bounded  by  the  scrub  on  one  side  and  by  the  moun- 
tain on  the  other.  On  this  I  could  discern  a  collection 
of  huts  and  houses  to  the  number  of  perhaps  three  hun- 
dred.    But  what  struck  me  as  most  remarkable  about 


60  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

them  Avas  the  fact  that  tlicy  were  arranged  in  streets, 
and  that  the  majority  of  tliem  Avere  built  on  European 
lines  ;  also  in  almost  every  case — and  I  Avas  able  to 
verify  this  later  on — each  one  possessed  a  vv'ell-kept  and 
apparently  productive  garden,  varying  in  extent  from 
a  quarter  up  to  as  much  in  some  cases  as  an  acre.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  village  furthest  from  where  I 
stood,  the  forest  began  again,  and  ran  in  an  unbroken 
mass  up  to  the  high  mountain  land  before  referred  to. 
On  the  right  side  of  this  mountain,  and  distinctly' 
visible  from  every  part  of  the  village,  was  a  fine  water- 
fall, perhaps  a  couple  of  hundred  feet  high,  from  which 
rose  continually  a  heavy  mist,  catching  in  the  sunlight 
every  known  colour  of  the  rainbow.  Altogether,  a 
more  picturesque  little  place  could  not  have  been  dis- 
covered. It  Avas  quite  in  keeping  Avith  the  Avoman,  the 
yacht,  the  forest,  and  the  harbour.  And  to  think  tliat 
this  was  the  home  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil,  the 
home  of  that  mysterious  woman  Avhose  so-called  crimes 
and  acts  of  daring  were  common  gossip  from  Colombo 
to  the  farthest  Saghalien  coast. 

Leaving  the  village  on  our  left,  Ave  ascended  the 
mountain  side  for  a  short  distance  by  a  Avell-worn  track, 
then  turning  sharplj'  to  our  left  hand,  wound  round  it  to 
Avhere  anotlicr  large  j^lateau  began.  Reaching  this, 
midway  between  the  village  and  the  waterfall,  Ave  saAV 
before  us  a  high  and  Avell-made  picket  fence  in  Avhich 
Avas  a  gate.  Through  tliis  gate  Ave  passed,  and  after 
carefully  closing  it  behind  us,  followed  a  sliort  track 
along  a  lovely  avenue  of  Arcca  palms  and  India  rubber 
trees  tOAvards  a  house  Ave  could  just  discern  through  the 
foliage  ;  then,  having  ascended  a  flight  of  broad  stone 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.     Gl 

stejis,  flanked  witli  quaint  stone  gotls  and  images,  ^\o 
stood  before  tlie  dwelling  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil. 

I  fear,  deeply  as  the  memory  of  it  is  impressed  upon 
my  mind,  it  is  hardly  in  my  power  to  convey  to  jon  any 
real  impression  of  the  building  I  had  come  so  far  to  see, 
and  in  which  I  was  destined  to  spend  so  many  hours. 
Sulfice  it  that  it  was  an  adobe  construction — one  story 
high,  and  designed  on  somewhat  the  same  plan  as  an 
Indian  bungalow  ;  the  walls  were  of  great  thickness,  the 
better  to  withstand  the  heat,  I  suppose  ;  the  rooms  pre- 
sented the  appearance  of  being  lofty  and  imposing,  while 
one  and  all  opened  by  means  of  French  windows  on  to 
the  broad  verandah  which  ran  round  the  house  upon 
every  side.  This  verandah,  and  indeed  the  whole  house, 
was  embowered  in  dense  masses  of  diflferent-coloured 
creepers,  which  in  the  brilliant  sunshine  presented  a 
most  charming  and  novel  effect.  From  the  verandah 
on  the  left,  or  south,  side,  another  broad  flight  of  stone 
steps,  similarly  adorned  with  stone  carvings,  conducted 
one  to  the  garden,  while  to  the  right,  and  scarcely  more 
than  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  distant,  crashed  the 
waterfall  I  had  seen  from  the  hill,  with  a  roar  that 
could  have  been  heard  many  miles  away,  down  into  the 
black  pool  two  hundred  feet  below. 

At  the  foot  of  the  first  steps  my  guide  left  me  and 
returned  to  the  harbour  by  the  road  along  w^hicli  he  had 
come.  I  paused  to  recover  ni}''  breath  and  watched  him 
out  of  sight,  tlien  turning  to  the  house  ascended  the 
flight  of  steps.  Just  as  I  reached  the  top,  and  was 
wondering  how  I  might  best  make  my  presence  known 
to  those  inside,  I  heard  the  rustling  of  a  dress  in  the 
verandah  ;  next  moment  Alie  herself,  clad  in  white  from 


68  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

tcp  to  toe,  as  was  her  custom,  came  round  tlie  corner, 
followed  by  Ler  enormous  bulldog,  and  confronted  me. 
I  can  see  lier  now,  and  even  after  this  lapse  of  time  can 
feel  the  influence  of  her  Avonderful  personality  upon  me 
just  as  i")lainly  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday  I  stood  before 
her.  Seeing  nie  she  said  something  to  the  dog, — who  had 
uttered  a  low  growl, — and  stretched  out  her  hand. 

"  Good-morning,  Dr.  De  Normanville,"  she  said,  smil- 
ing as  no  other  woman  could  ever  do  ;  "  j^ou  received 
my  note,  then  ?  I  am  glad  to  see  j'ou,  and  I  make  3'ou 
welcome  to  my  home." 

"  A  Garden  of  Eden  I  should  be  inclined  to  call  it,"  I 
answered,  looking  about  me,  "  How  many  of  us  would 
be  glad  to  dwell  in  it  !  " 

She  looked  at  me  for  a  moment,  and  then  asked  some- 
what bitterly  : 

"Pray  is  that  pretty  speech  meant  for  Alie  or  the 
Beautiful,  White  Devil  ?  There  is  a  difference,  you 
know." 

Then,  not  permitting  me  time  to  answer,  she  changed 
the  subject  by  saying  :  * 

"  Breakfast  is  on  the  table,  I  believe.  Let  us  go  in  to 
it.     Will  you  give  me  your  arm  ?  " 

I  did  so,  and  together  we  passed  from  the  creeper- 
covered  verandah  into  a  room  straight  before  us. 

Tn  the  previous  chapter  I  have  described  to  you  Alie's 
cabin  on  board  the  Lone  Star,  and,  in  doing  it,  almost 
beggared  myself  of  Ic.nguage  ;  now  I  can  only  ask  you 
to  believe  that  Aclx  as  that  cabin  was  in  its  appoint- 
ments, in  its  arrangements,  its  curios  and  articles  of 
vertu,  the  room  which  we  entered  now  eclipsed  it  in 
every  particular.     Indeed,  such  another  I  never  remem- 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.     69 

ber  to  have  seen.  From  floor  to  ceiling  it  was  filled 
with  curiosities  and  articles  of  the  greatest  beauty  and 
value.  Rich  Persian,  Indian,  Chinese,  and  Japanese 
hangings  covered  the  walls,  interspersed  with  such 
articles  of  pottery,  silver,  and  china,  as  made  me  break 
tlie  Tenth  Commandment  every  time  I  looked  at  them. 
Native  weapons  of  all  kinds  and  of  every  nationality^, 
some  with  plain,  others  with  superbly  jewelled,  hilts  • 
Indian,  Cinghalese,  Burmese,  Siamese,  Japanese,  and 
Chinese  bric-a-brac  ;  two  large  cases  of  mineral  speci- 
mens, comprising  many  precious  stones  ;  quite  a  dozen 
pictures  of  rare  value,  one  looking  suspiciously  like  a 
Titian  ;  while  fully  a  couple  of  hundred  books,  a  grand 
piano,  and  at  least  half-a-dozen  other  musical  instru- 
ments, including  a  harp  and  a  guitar,  helped  to  complete 
the  furniture. 

In  the  centre  of  the  room  stood  the  breakfast  table, 
covered  with  an  exquisitely  embroidered  white  linen 
cloth,  on  which  was  displayed  such  a  collection  of  beauti- 
ful gold  and  silver  ware  as  I  had  never  seen  on  a  table 
before.  Three  heaps  of  fruit,  consisting  of  durians, 
pisangs,  bananas,  mangoes,  mangosteens,  and  custard 
apples  were  piled  upon  three  lovely  Sevres  dishes  in  the 
centre,  flanked  by  two  quaintly-shaped  decanters  filled 
with  wine. 

We  seated  ourselves  at  either  end  of  the  table,  and 
my  hostess  struck  a  tiny  silver  gong  by  her  side.  Break- 
fast was  instantly  served  by  the  same  impassive  servant 
who  had  waited  upon  us  on  board  the  yacht.  If  he  felt 
an}'  surprise  at  my  presence  on  this  occasion,  he  did  not 
show  it  ;  indeed,  it  would  almost  have  seemed  as  if  he 
were  not  aware  that  I  was  the  same  person. 


10  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

And  now  a  -word  as  to  the  dejeuner  itself.  It  has 
been  my  good  fortune  to  liave  breakfasted  at  most  of 
the  famous  restaurants  in  Eurojic,  that  is  to  say,  in  Lon- 
don, Paris,  Rome,  and  Vienna,  but  I  am  prei)ared  to 
state,  and  I  put  it  forward  believing  it  to  be  true,  that 
the  meal  of  winch  I  partook  that  morning  in  the 
Beautiful  White  Devil's  bungalow  excelled  any  I  had 
ever  partaken  of  before.  From  beginning  to  end  it 
Avas  perfect  in  every  wa3^  The  fish,  evidentl}^  but 
lately  caught,  could  only  have  been  called  a  poem  of 
culinary  art,  the  omelets  were  Parisian  in  their  dain- 
tiness and  serving,  the  cutlets  Avere  of  the  right  size 
and  done  to  a  turn,  the  wine  (for  the  meal  Avas  served 
after  the  French  fashion)  Avas  worthy  of  imperial  cel- 
lars, and  the  fruit  had  evidently  been  in  the  garden 
less  than  half  an  hour  before.  My  hostess  noticed  the 
surprise  with  which  I  regarded  these  things  ;  for  extra- 
ordinary it  certainl}'  was  to  sit  down  to  such  a  break- 
fast on  an  island  in  the  North  Pacific. 

"You  are  evidently  wondering  at  the  civilisation  of 
my  surroundings,"  she  said,  as  the  man  servant  poured 
her  out  a  glass  of  Tokay. 

"  Indeed,  yes  !  "  I  answered.  "I  must  own  I  had  no 
notion  I  should  find  anything  in  any  way  approaching 
it  in  these  seas.     Your  cook  must  be  a  wonder." 

"  Well,  perhaps  he  is  rather  extraordinary  !  "  she 
continued.  "  But  I  doubt  if  you  will  deem  it  so 
wonderful  when  I  tell  you  that  he  is  a  Frenchman  of 
the  French,  Avho  was  once  in  the  service  of  Victor 
Emanuel.  How  I  came  to  obtain  the  benefit  of  his  skill 
is,  of  course,  another  matter." 

"  And  will  he  stay  with  you,  do  you  think  ?     Are  you 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL,     n 

not  sometimes  afraiJ  that  j'our  servants  uill  want  to 
leave  you,  and  return  to  civilisation  again  ?" 

"  My  servants  never  leave  me,"  slie  answered,  with  an 
emphasis  there  was  no  mistaking.  "And  for  the  best 
of  reasons.  No  !  I  certainly  have  no  fear  on  that 
score." 

"  You  are  able  to  place  implicit  trust  in  them,  then  ?  " 
I  asked,  amazed  at  the  confidence  with  Avhich  she  spoke. 

"  The  most  implicit  trust,"  she  said.  "  My  servants 
are  carefully  chosen.  They  give  their  services  cheer- 
fully, and,  like  my  dog  thei'e,  they  Avould  obej^  rae  at 
any  cost,  however  great,  to  themselves.  Would  you 
like  an  example  ?  " 

"  Very  much,  if  you  will  favour  me,"  I  answered. 

"  Then  watch  me  closely.  In  the  first  place  you  must 
understand  that,  next  to  m3'self,  mj^  bulldog's  greatest 
friend  and  companion  is  my  butler — the  man  who  has 
just  left  the  room.     Well,  I  will  ring  for  him." 

She  did  so,  and,  as  soon  as  the  bell  had  stopped  ring- 
ing, called  the  dog  to  her  side  and  said  something  to 
him  in  the  same  curious  language  she  had  employed 
before.  Thereupon  he  went  over  to  the  door,  and,  lay- 
ing himself  down  about  a  yard  from  it,  watched  it 
intently.  He  had  not  been  there  a  half  minute  before 
the  door  opened,  and  the  servant  stood  upon  the 
threshold. 

Immediately  the  dog  saw  him  he  rose  to  his  feet, 
every  bristle  erect,  showing  all  his  teeth,  and  growling 
savagel3^  At  first  the  man  did  not  know  what  to  make 
of  this  behaviour.  Then  he  spoke  to  the  animal,  and  at 
the  same  time  attempted  to  pass  him.  But  this  the 
beast  would  not  permit.     His  upper  lip  drew  further 


72  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

back,  and  he  slio\vecl  unmistakably  that  if  the  man 
advanced  another  step  he  Avould  bite,  and  bite  severe!}-. 
All  this  time  his  mistress  lay  back  in  her  chair,  toying 
with  a  spoon  upon  tlie  table,  and  watching  the  pair  out 
of  half-closed  eyes,  according  to  her  peculiar  habit, 
Tlien  she  spoke  to  the  man. 

*'  I  have  told  the  dog,"  she  said  in  English,  for  my 
benefit,  I  suppose,  "  to  seize  you  by  the  throat  if  3'ou 
attempt  to  enter  the  room.  You  know  that  he  will  do 
what  I  tell  him.     Very  well  then,  come  in  ! " 

Dangerous  as  was  his  position,  so  great  was  the 
influence  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  exercised  over  her 
dependents  that  the  man  did  not  hesitate  or  wait  to  be 
bidden  twice,  but  at  once  complied  with  her  order.  He 
had  not  advanced  two  steps,  however,  before  the  dog 
had  sprung  into  the  air,  and  had  his  mistress  not  called 
to  him  in  time,  would  have  taken  the  unfortunate 
domestic  by  the  throat.  As  it  was  he  stopped  midway 
in  his  spring,  and  a  moment  later  was  back  agani 
crouching  at  her  side.  Then  having  addressed  some 
words  of  explanation  to  the  frightened  man,  she  turned 
to  me  and  said  : 

"Are  you  satisfied  with  that  practical  proof,  Dr,  De 
Normanville,  or  do  you  want  another  ?  You  are 
satisfied?  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  I  tell  you  just  as  that 
man  obeyed  my  orders,  regardless  of  the  consequences, 
so  would  every  other  man  in  my  employ,  from  my  chief 
officer  down  to  the  little  native  lad  who  pulls  the 
punkah." 

*'  It  is  very  wonderful  !  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  it  is  very  simple." 

*'  I'm  afraid  I  do  not  quite  understand  ?  " 


THE  HOME  OP  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.      73 

"  Then  I'm  sorry  to  say  I  must  for  the  present  leave 
you  in  your  ignorance.  Some  day  I  may  afford  you 
another  example  which  will  perhaps  enlighten  you  more 
fully." 

For  a  few  moments  she  sat  wrapped  in  thought,  look- 
ing at  a  flower  she  had  taken  from  a  vase  ;  then  she 
lifted  her  eyes  again  and  addressed  me  witli  an  air  of 
authority  that  sat  well  upon  her. 

*'  We  have  finished  our  breakfast,  I  think,"  she  said. 
"  Now  I  imagine  you  will  be  anxious  to  inspect  j'our 
patients.  Well,  if  you  will  wait  ten  minutes  while  I 
transact  a  little  legal  business,  I  will  accompany  j^ou." 

So  saying  she  led  me  out  into  the  verandah,  where  we 
seated  ourselves  in  long  cane  chairs.  A  tall  native  was 
in  waiting,  and  when  she  had  said  something  to  him  he 
withdrew. 

"  Now  you  will  have  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  a 
little  piece  of  retributive  justice,"  she  observed  ;  "  and 
also  of  observing  how  I  treat  those  who  misconduct 
themselves  in  my  domains." 

She  had  hardly  spoken  before  the  tramp  of  feet 
sounded  from  round  the  corner,  and  next  moment  two 
stalwart  natives  appeared  escorting  a  young  man,  also 
an  islander,  whose  bright  attractive  countenance  won  my 
regard  from  the  first.  Behind  this  party  came  the  com- 
plainant, an  elderly  native,  whose  puckered  and  wrinkled 
face  Avas  about  as  unprepossessing  as  the  other's  was 
pleasing.  Seeing  their  ruler  before  them  they  prostrated 
themselves  with  one  accord,  and  remained  in  that  posi- 
tion until  they  were  told  to  rise.  AVhen  ihcy  had  done 
so,  Alie  narrated  the  features  of  the  case  to  me  in 
English.     The  old  man,  it  appeared,  had  a  young  wife  ; 


74  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

llie  prisoner  was  ber  cousin,  and,  if  the  complainant 
could  be  believed,  had  sliown  himself  fonder  of  her  than 
■svas  comfortable  for  the  husband's  peace  of  mind.  Age 
proving  jealous,  and  at  the  same  time  suspicious  of  the 
motive  of  Youth's  cousinly  affection,  had  trumped  up  a 
charge  of  stealing  gardening  imi^lements  against  him, 
and  had  brought  sworn  testimony  to  prove  that  the 
stolen  articles  bad  been  found  in  his  possession.  But  it 
so  happened  that  Alie  had  been  aware  for  some  time 
past  that  the  real  object  of  the  youth's  affection  was  one 
of  her  own  domestics,  a  comely  enough  damsel,  employed 
in  the  house.  The  upshot  of  it  all  was  that  the  charge 
was  dismissed  ;  the  old  man  had  to  listen  to  a  short 
homily  on  jealousy  ;  the  young  couple  Avere  married 
there  and  then,  and  given  a  hut  in  the  township  for  their 
own  use,  while  the  old  man  was  ordered,  by  way  of 
compensation  for  the  false  accusation  he  had  brought, 
to  provide  them,  that  self-same  (\a.y,  Avith  certain 
goods  and  chattels  necessary  to  their  housekeeping.  As 
for  the  three  false  witnesses,  who  had  placed  so  small  a 
value  upon  their  reputations  for  veracity  as  to  allow  them- 
selves to  be  suborned  against  an  innocent  man,  their 
case  was  somewhat  harder  ;  they  were  taken  to  the  rear 
of  the  house,  where  they  received  ten  strokes  of  the  rod 
apiece,  well  laid  on,  as  a  warning  to  them  against  future 
dealings  in  unsound  evidence. 

This  case  finished,  Alie  made  another  sign  to  one  of 
her  men,  who  instantly  disappeared.  Then  she  settled 
herself  in  her  chair,  and  I  noticed  that  a  harder  look 
came  into  her  face. 

"You  have  M'itnessed  how  I  conduct  one  side  of  my 
court,"  she  said.     "  Now  you  shall  see  the  other." 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.     75 

Again  the  tramp  of  feet  was  heard,  and  once  more 
guards  and  prisoner  made  their  appearance  round  the 
corner.  To  my  surprise,  the  Latter  was  none  otlier  than 
myokl  acquaintance  KwongFung,  tlie  notorious  Cliinese 
pirate.  But  thougli  he  must  have  remembered  me,  his 
sullen,  evil  face  betrayed  no  sign  of  surprise.  He  only 
stood  between  his  guards  watching  my  hostess  and  wait- 
ing for  her  to  speak.  Presently  she  did  so,  in  Chinese, 
and  once,  only  once,  did  he  answer  her.  During  the 
harangue  I  glanced  at  her  face,  and  was  amazed  at  the 
change  in  it.  The  old  soft  expression  was  completely 
gone,  and  in  its  place  had  come  one  tliat,  to  tell  the 
honest  truth,  even  frightened  me.  Never  before  or  since 
have  I  seen  such  a  perfect  exhibition  of  self-contained, 
but  all-consuming,  rage.  Once  more  she  spoke  to  the 
prisoner,  who  refused  to  answer.  She  instantly  ad- 
dressed herself  to  the  escort.  The  man  in  command 
was  in  the  act  of  replying  when  the  prisoner,  by  some 
means  which  I  shall  never  be  able  to  explain,  raised  his 
right  arm  before  his  guards  could  stop  him.  In  the 
palm  of  his  hand  lay  a  knife,  somewhat  resembling  a 
Malay  krise,  but  with  a  shorter  and  straighter  blade. 
With  the  swiftness  of  thought  the  hand  seemed  to  drop 
back  and  instantly  resume  its  upright  position.  The 
impetus  thus  given  sent  the  weapon  fl^'ing  along  the 
verandah  toward  us,  and  if  I  had  not  thrown  m}'  left  arm 
before  her,  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  it  would  have 
found  a  scabbard  in  Alie's  breast.  As  it  was  it  stuck  in 
the  sleeve  of  my  white  jacket,  passing  through  the 
fabric  without  even  scratching  the  flesh.  Unnerving 
aa  the  incident  was,  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  did  not 
show  the  slightest  sign  of  fear,  but  simply  said  "  Thank 
6 


76  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

you  !  "  to  me,  and  then  resumed  lier  instructions  to  the 
guard.     Kwong  Fung  was  immediately  led  away. 

For  some  seconds  after  Lis  departure  neither  of  iis 
spoke,  then,  noticing  that  her  face  was  regaining  its  old 
expression,  I  took  courage  enough  to  inquire  my  enemy's 
fate. 

"Death,"  she  answered,  "I  have  forgiven  that  man 
times  out  of  number ;  I  have  helped  him  when  he  was 
in  distress,  and  once  I  rescued  him  when  he  was  within 
an  ace  of  being  executed.  But  since  he  has  murdered 
one  of  my  bravest  subjects  in  cold  blood,  and  cannot 
respect  the  orders  I  have  given,  but  must  needs  attempt 
the  lives  of  those  I  have  sworn  to  protect,  he  must  be 
prevented  from  doing  any  more  harm  by  the  safest 
means  we  can  employ." 

She  was  silent  again  for  a  few  moments,  then  picking 
up  the  dagger,  which  had  fallen  on  the  floor,  she  looked 
me  steadily  in  the  face,  and  said  : 

"  Dr.  De  Normanville,  I  owe  you  my  life.  If  ever 
the  opportunity  arrives  you  will  not  find  me  ungrate- 
ful. It  was  a  near  escape,  was  it  not?  I  shall  have 
to  change  my  servants  if  they  cannot  see  that  theii 
prisoners  are  unarmed." 

I  was  about  to  reply,  but  was  interrupted  by  the 
arrival  of  a  second  batch  of  litigants,  who  Avere  followed 
by  a  third.  They  were  all  natives,  for,  as  I  discovered 
later,  there  was  not  one  single  instance  on  record,  in 
the  history  of  the  island,  of  the  white  population  having 
found  it  necessary  to  resort  to  law  to  settle  their  differ- 
ences. A  more  peaceable,  happy,  and  law-abiding  com- 
munity could  not  be  found.  One  thing  was  verj^  notice- 
able in  each  of  these  cases,  and  that  was  the  pacific 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL.     11 

reception  of,  and  the  resignation  with  which,  the  decisions 
of  their  ruler  were  received.  She  spoke  to  them,  chided 
them,  sympatliised  witli  them,  and  smoothed  down  their 
ruffled  feathers  just  as  if  they  had  in  reality  been  what 
she  had  called  them — her  children.  And  as  a  result,  in 
each  case  plaintiff  and  defendant  went  off  together, 
their  differences  settled  and  their  former  animosity 
quite  forgotten.  When  the  last  case  was  concluded, 
Alie  put  on  her  large  white  hat,  which  throughout  the 
legal  business  had  been  lying  beside  her,  and  we  were 
in  the  act  of  setting  out  for  the  village,  accompanied  by 
the  dog,  when  an  incident  occurred  which  Avas  fraught 
with  as  much  interest  to  me,  in  my  study  of  her  extra- 
ordinary position  and  character,  as  anything  else  I  had 
so  far  met  with  during  my  stay  in  the  island. 

We  were  descending  the  long  stone  steps  before 
described,  when  a  young  and  attractive  native  woman 
hove  in  sight,  carrying  in  her  arms  a  bundle,  which  on 
her  nearer  approach  proved  to  be  a  baby.  Arriving  at 
the  steps  she  halted  and  knelt  at  Alie's  feet,  kissing  the 
hem  of  her  dress,  and  at  the  same  time  saying  some- 
thing to  her  in  the  soft  native  tongue  I  have  so  repeat- 
edly admired. 

When  she  had  finished  Alie  turned  to  me  and  said  : 

"  Doctor,  this  is  your  first  case  ;  and  a  sad  one.  AVill 
you  tell  me  if  you  can  do  anything  for  this  poor  crea- 
ture's child  ?  " 

Turnins:  to  the  woman  I  signed  to  her  to  let  me  look 
at  the  infant.  The  poor  little  thing  was  in  the  last 
stage  of  confluent  small-pox,  and  presented  a  sickening 
appearance. 

"Is  it  a  hopeless  case?"  Alie  asked,  with  almost  an 


18  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

entreat}^  in  her  voice,  a  note  that  had  certainly  not  been 
tliere  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before,  when  she  had  sent 
Kvvong  Fung  to  his  doom. 

"Quite  hopeless,"  I  answered  ;  "but  I  will  endeavour 
to  make  death  as  painless  as  possible.  Will  you  tell  the 
poor  soul  to  bring  the  child  to  me  in  half  an  hour  in  the 
village?" 

Alie  translated  my  speech  and  must  have  given  the 
mother  some  encouragement,  for  she  fell  at  my  feet,  and 
in  the  deepest  reverence  kissed  my  boots.  Then  with 
an  obeisance  to  my  companion  she  passed  down  a  side 
path  and  disappeared  among  the  trees. 

Alie  turned  to  me  and  said,  with  a  deep  sigh  : 

"Now,  Dr.  De  Normanville,  if  you  are  ready  we  will 
set  off  on  our  tour  of  inspection." 

I  agreed,  and  accordingly  we  passed  through  the  gate 
and  went  down  the  path  towards  the  settlement. 


CHAPTER  V, 

HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE, 

Leaving  the  house  behind  us  we  made  our  way  by 
means  of  a  circuitous  path,  round  the  base  of  the  majes- 
tic waterfall  before  described,  down  towards  the  build- 
ings on  the  plain.  The  route  chosen  was  a  perfect  one 
in  every  wa}'-,  not  only  for  observing  the  excellent  plac- 
ing of  the  township  on  the  plateau,  but  for  noting  the 
beauties  of  nature  along  the  path.  As  in  the  jungle 
through  which  I  had  passed  to  approach  the  house, 
lovely  creepers  twined  from  tree  to  tree,  orchids  gaped 
from  every  crevice,  some  of  them  almost  human  in  their 
quaintness  ;  while  mixed  up  with  them  in  marvellous  pro- 
fusion were  palms,  ferns,  shrubs,  and  bamboos  of  every 
known  hue  and  description.  Butterflies  and  beetles,  of 
colourings  so  glorious  that  my  fingers  positively  itched 
for  my  collecting  box,  fluttered  from  flower  to  flower, 
while  parrots  {Pakedinis  longianda),  Nikobar  pigeons, 
and  the  darter,  or  snake  bird,  were  so  frequently  met 
with  as  to  lose  all  their  charm  of  novelty.  Some- 
times we  would  be  in  places  where  the  wealth  of  green- 
ery shut  out  all  view  of  the  sky  ;  a  moment  later  we 
could  look-  through  the  leaves  at  the  great  mountain 
pushing  its  head  up  into  what  seemed  the  azure  vault  of 
heaven  itself.  But  beautiful  as  all  this  was,  not  the 
least  lovely  part  of  it  was  the  mysterious  woman  walk- 
ing by  my  side. 

79 


^0  Til  10   15 1<: A  U TIF UL  WHITE   DEViL. 

As  wc  iiiudc  our  way  down  tlic  path  wc  talked  on 
many  subjects,  EuroiJean  politics,  of  which  her  knowl- 
edge was  extensive,  tlie  beauties  of  the  East,  literature 
and  art;  but,  somehow  or  another,  however  far  we 
miglit  wander  from  it,  the  conversation  invariably  came 
back  to  tlic  epidemic  that  was  the  occasion  of  my 
presence  in  the  settlement. 

At  last  we  left  the  jungle  and  i>r('pared  to  descend  the 
preci])itous  hillside  by  means  of  a  long  ilight  of  wooden 
8te])s,  which  ended  at  the  commencement  of  the  main 
street.  In  the  brilliant  sunlight  the  townsliip  looked  a 
l)retty  enough  little  place,  with  its  Avell  laid-oiit  and 
nicely  i)lanted  thoroughfares,  neatly  built  European 
houses,  and  |)icturesquc  native  huts.  It  was  hard  to  be- 
lieve tliat,  clean  and  healthy  as  it  all  looked,  it  had  lost 
more  tiian  a  quarter  of  its  population  by  the  ravages  of 
one  of  the  most  awful  pestilences  human  flesh  is  heir  to. 
Indeed,  so  much  impressed  was  I  with  its  beauty  that 
for  a  moment  or  two  T  stood  watching  it,  unable  to  say 
a  wonh  Tlien  I  looked  at  my  companion.  8Iie,  like 
myself,  had  been  very  silent  for  the  last  hundred  yards, 
aiul  now,  as  she  looked  down  at  her  kingdom,  I  saw  her 
beautiful  eyes  lill  with  tears. 

"  Dr.  Do  Normanville,"  she  said,  as  we  arrived  at  the 
bottom  of  the  steps,  "if  you  will  allow  me,  some  day, 
when  we  are  a  little  better  acquainted,  I  will  tell  you 
the  story  of  this  place  and  the  influence  it  has  had  upon 
my  life.  Then  you  will  be  able  to  understand  how  it  is 
that  I  am  so  much  alTected  by  my  peoi)le's  suH'erings." 

I  murmured  an  ai)propriate  rej)ly  and  wc  entered  the 
village.  Our  arrival  had  been  anxiously  expected,  and 
at  the  gate  of  the  first  house  we  were  met  by  an  old  man^ 


now  WE  FOUGHT  THE  TLAGUE.       81 

who  was  evidently  a  person  of  considerable  importance 
in  tl)C  place,  lie  had  a  white  skin  and  a  slightly  Scan- 
dinavian cast  of  countenance,  and,  though  ho  spoke 
Chinese  and  the  native  tongue  with  unusual  fluency, 
was  evidently  more  than  half  an  Englishman.  On 
seeing  my  companion  ho  raised  his  hat  politely  and 
waited  for  her  to  speak. 

**  Mr.  Cliristianson,"  she  said,  holding  out  her  hand, 
".this  is  Dr.  De  Normanville,  who  has  been  kind 
enough  to  come  to  our  assistance  from  Hong  Kong.  I 
don't  think  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  assure  him  that  you 
will  give  him  your  entire  assistance  in  this  terrible 
crisis,  in  the  same  manner  as  you  have  hitherto  given  it 
to  me." 

The  old  man  bowed  to  me,  and  then  addressed  my 
companion. 

"  We  have  done  our  best  in  your  absence,"  he  said 
sorrowfully;  "  but  it  seems  as  if  Fate  were  against  us. 
'I'liere  are  at  the  present  moment  one  hundred  and  thirty 
cases  all  told,  of  which  eighty-four  are  men,  twenty- 
three  women,  and  the  remainder  children.  Yesterday 
there  were  eighteen  deaths — among  them  your  old  cox- 
swain, Kusae,  who  died  at  seven  in  the  morning,  and 
Ellai,  the  wife  of  Attack,  who  followed  him  within  an 
hour.  The  Englislnnan,  Brandon,  died  at  midday,  his 
wife  during  the  afternoon,  and  their  only  child  this 
morning,  scarcely  an  hour  ago.  Doctor,  is  there  any 
hope  at  all  of  our  being  able  to  stop  this  awful 
plague  ?  " 

I  assured  him  we  would  do  our  best,  and  he  agreed 
that  no  man  could  ask  or  expect  us  to  do  more.  By  the 
time  our  conversation  was  finished  I  had  taken  a  decided 


82  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

fancy  to  the  old  fellow,  and  with  Alie's  permission 
enrolled  him  there  and  then  as  my  second  in  command. 

"  Now,"  I  said,  turning  to  her,  "  before  we  commence 
our  work  let  me  exactl}''  understand  my  position.  With 
what  powers  am  I  invested  ?  " 

"  With  full  and  complete  authority,"  she  answered 
promptly.  "  Whatever  you  may  deem  best  for  my 
unfortunate  people,  please  do  without  consulting  any- 
one. Believe  me,  no  one  will  attempt  to  dispute  your 
right." 

"  That  is  as  it  should  be,  and  1  thank  you,"  I  said. 
"  Now,  will  you  tell  me  where  my  own  abode  is  to  be  ? 
It  should  be  as  far  removed  from  the  centre  of  the 
infected  district  as  jDossible,  yet,  at  the  same  time,  cen- 
tral enough  to  be  convenient  for  all  the  inhabitants." 

"  I  thought  that  house  on  the  mound  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill,"  she  answered,  pointing  with  her  beautiful 
liand  to  a  neat  weather-board  structure  about  a  couple 
of  hundred  yards  fi'om  the  place  where  we  were  then 
standing  ;  "  in  fact,  I  have  even  gone  so  far  as  to  give 
oi'ders  that  it  should  be  prepared  for  you.  Shall  we  go 
and  examine  it  ?  " 

Accordingly,  accompanied  by  the  old  man,  we  set  out 
for  it,  eagerly  watched  by  a  crowd  of  natives,  who, 
from  the  expressions  on  their  faces,  had  come  quite  to 
look  upon  me  as  their  deliverer. 

Tlie  house  proved  to  be  a  most  commodious  little 
place  of  four  rooms,  and,  from  the  luxury  Avith  which 
the  two  living  apartments  were  furnished,  it  was 
evident  tiiat  considerable  trouble  and  care  had  been 
bestowed  upon  them.  When  we  entered,  an  intelligent 
native  lad  was  called  from  an  inner  room  and  informed 


HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.      83 

in  English  that  I  was  his  new  master,  and  that  he  was 
to  see  that  I  wanted  for  nothing.  It  is  only  fair  to  add 
that  during  my  stay  in  tlie  island  no  man  could  have 
desired  a  better  and  more  trustworthy  servant. 

From  the  bedroom  and  sitting-room  we  passed  on  to 
the  room  at  the  end  of  the  verandah,  which  I  found  had 
been  set  apart  for,  and  equipped  as,  a  surgery.  Neatly 
arranged  round  the  walls,  on  shelves,  were  enough 
"drugs  of  all  sorts  and  descriptions  to  stock  half  a  dozen 
chemists'  shops,  while  my  instruments,  cases,  and  other 
paraphernalia  were  spread  out  upon  the  table  in  the 
centre.  Altogether  the  arrangements  were  most  satis- 
factory and  complete,  and  I  intimated  as  much  to  Alie, 
who  stood  watching  me  from  the  window. 

"  It  is  all  Mr.  Christianson's  doing,"  she  said.  "You 
must  thank  him," 

I  did  so,  and  then  proposed  that  we  should  set  about 
our  work  at  once. 

"  In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Christianson,"  I  began,  "  have 
you  liad  a^iy  symptoms  of  the  disease  yourself  ?  " 

"  Not  one  !  Since  it  started  I  have  been  as  well  as  I 
remember  ever  to  have  been  in  my  life." 

"When  were  you  vaccinated  last?" 

I  put  the  question  with  some  little  timidity,  for  I 
feared  lest  by  so  doing  I  might  wake  some  unpleasant 
memory  in  the  old  man's  mind.  But,  whatever  his  past 
may  have  been, — and  there  were  few  men  in  the  settle- 
ment, I  afterwards  found,  who  had  not  more  or  less  of  a 
romantic  histor^'^, — he  answered  without  hesitation  : 

"  I  was  vaccinated  in  Liverpool,  twelve  years  ago  next 
March." 

"Then,  with  your  permission,  I'll  do  it  for  you  again. 


84  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL, 

After  that  we'll  call  up  the  heads  of  tlie  village  and  Dl 
operate  on  tliera." 

So  saying,  I  unpacked  my  things,  and,  having  done  so, 
vaccinated  my  second  in  command.  AVhen  this  was 
accomplished,  he  gave  me  a  list  he  liad  prepared  of  the 
lialf-dozen  principal  inhabitants.  They  were  immedi- 
ately sent  for,  and  as  soon  as  they  arrived  my  position 
was  explained  to  them  in  a  short  speech  by  Alie. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  I  said,  when  her  address  was 
finished,  "in  view  of  the  serious  nature  of  our  position 
and  the  necessity  for  a  well-organized  attack  upon  the 
disease  which  has  so  decimated  your  population,  I  propose 
to  enrol  you  as  my  staff.  You  will  each  of  you  have 
special  duties  assigned  to  3'ou,  and  I  need  not  say  that 
I  feel  sure  you  will  fulfil  them  to  the  very  best  of  your 
ability.  Before  we  go  any  further,  as  I  hear  none  of 
you  have  taken  the  disease,  I  propose  vaccinating  you 
all,  as  I  have  just  done  Mr.  Christiansen.  When  that 
has  been  accomplished  we  will  get  properly  to  work." 

In  half  an  hour  or  so  this  was  done,  and  I  was  free  to 
enter  upon  my  next  course  of  action. 

"  We  will  now,"  I  said,  after  a  little  consultation  with 
Alie,  "assemble  the  healthy  folk  of  the  village  on  the 
green  yonder." 

This  was  soon  done,  and,  at  the  word  of  command, 
the  entire  population  able  to  get  about  assembled 
themselves  on  the  open  sj^ace  before  my  verandah — 
blacks  and  whites,  yellow  and  copper  colour,  all  mixed 
up,  higgledy-piggledy,  in  glorious  confusion.  From  a 
cursory  glance  at  them  they  appeared  to  come  from  all 
countries  and  from  all  parts  of  the  globe.  I  could 
distinguish  Englishmen,  Frenchmen,  Germans,  Swedes, 


HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.      85 

Italians,  Portuguese,  Spaniards,  Russians,  Hindoos, 
Malays,  Dj^aks,  and  even  Chinamen.  The  dusky 
population,   however,    predominated. 

The  first  business  to  be  performed,  when  they  "were 
all  before  me,  was  to  separate  the  men  from  the  women, 
and,  as  soon  as  this  was  accomplished,  to  carefulh'  ex- 
amine each  in  turn  ;  after  that  I  singled  out  those  who 
were  skilled  in  carpentering  and  hut-building,  and  kept 
them  on  one  side.  Fortunately,  I  was  able  to  procure 
nearly  thirty  who  were  in  some  degree  efficient.  All  of 
these — I  mean  of  course  those  who  had  not  had  the 
disease — were  forthwith  vaccinated  and  despatched, 
under  the  leadership  of  one  of  my  six  lieutenants,  to  a 
site  I  had  chosen  on  the  hillside  for  the  hospital.  There 
they  were  employed  erecting  huts  with  all  possible 
despatch. 

When  the  remainder  had  undergone  the  necessary 
operation,  volunteers  were  requested  to  enrol  themselves 
for  the  work  of  nursing  the  sick,  and  for  this  duty  no 
less  than  twenty  held  up  their  hands,  eight  of  whom  had 
themselves  been  victims  of  the  pestilence. 

Long  before  I  had  completed  my  work  of  vaccination, 
the  sun  had  disappeared  behind  the  hill,  and  it  was  time 
for  the  evening  meal.  But  tired  as  we  all  were,  it  was 
useless  to  think  of  stopping,  so  after  we  had  broken  our 
fast,  the  work  of  hut-building  and  vaccination  proceeded 
again  by  torch  and  lamp  light,  until  long  after  midnight. 
By  the  time  my  last  patient  was  dismissed  I  was  utterly 
worn  out.  But  this  was  not  the  case  with  Alie,  "who 
throughout  the  day,  and  up  to  the  very  last  moment 
at  night,  had  never  abated  one  jot  of  her  energy.  En- 
couraging the  women,  cheering  the  men,  weighing  out 


86  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

stores,  and  measuring  cloth,  she  bad  been  occupied  with- 
out ceasing.  Her  enthusiasm  was  like  a  stimulant,  aud- 
it bad  the  effect  of  one  upon  all  concerned.  When  ray 
arms  ached  and  my  brain  seemed  fagged  out  be^^ond  all 
recouping  with  plotting,  planning,  and  giving  advice,  it 
was  like  a  breath  of  new  life  to  see  her  moving  about 
among  her  people,  taking  no  thought  of  herself,  or  of  the 
danger  she  was  running,  thinking  only  of  the  terror- 
stricken  wa-etches  who  turned  to  her  in  their  hour  of 
trouble  for  sympathy  and  help.  And  certainly  as  she 
passed  about  among  them,  Beelzebub,  the  bulldog, 
slouching  along  at  her  heels,  it  was  wonderful  to  see  how 
their  faces  would  brighten,  and  the  light  of  fear  for  the 
moment-die  out  of  their  eyes.  Nothing  in  my  science 
had  the  power  to  do  as  much  for  them. 

As  I  put  down  my  implements  and  received  Christian- 
son's  report  that  the  fourth  hut  was  ready  for  occupation, 
the  clock  on  the  mantelpiece  of  my  sitting  room  struck 
a  quarter  to  one.  Bidding  him  good-night,  and  warning 
him  to  be  early  astir  on  the  morrow,  I  took  nij^  hat,  and 
prepared  to  accompany  Alie  on  her  homeward  journey. 

Following  the  path  behind  my  house,  we  ran  it  round 
the  foot  of  the  falls,  and  up  through  the  jungle  to  lier 
gate.  By  the  time  we  reached  the  spot  where  I  had  first 
looked  down  at  the  settlement  that  morning  the  moon 
was  sailing  high  in  a  cloudless  sky,  and  the  whole  of  our 
world  was  bathed  in  its  pale,  mysterious  light.  The 
scene  was  indescribably  beautiful,  and  perhaps  the  exquis- 
ite softness  of  the  night,  and  the  thought  of  the  sickness 
raging  in  the  valley  below  us,  may  have  had  something 
to  do  Avith  the  silence  that  followed  our  arrival  at  the 
top.     AVe  were  standing  at  tlie  gate,  looking  down  upon 


HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.       87 

the  wliite  roofs,  showing  like  flakes  of  silver  through  the 
sea  of  dark  jungle.  For  some  time  neither  of  us  spoke. 
Then  it  was  Alie  who  began  the  conversation. 

"Dr.  De  Normanville,"  she  said, — and  it  must  not  be 
thought  conceited  on  my  part  to  repeat  it, — "  I  want  to 
thank  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  the  way  in 
which  you  have  taken  up  your  work  of  mercy.  I  cannot 
say  what  I  would  like  to  do,  because  my  heart  is  too  full 
for  utterance  ;  but  if  you  could  only  realise  wliat  a  relief 
it  is  to  me  to  know  that  you  are  here  to  conduct  mat- 
ters, you  would  understand  something  of  the  gratitude 
I  feel." 

I  uttered  some  commonplace  reply,  all  the  time  watch- 
ing the  wistful  look  upon  her  face.  Then  she  said 
suddenly  : 

"We  have  scarcely  known  each  other  three  daj'S  yet, 
but  somehow  I  feel  as  if,  despite  all  you  have  heard  of 
me,  you  are  my  friend." 

"  And  you  are  quite  right  in  so  feeling,"  I  said.  "Be- 
lieve me,  I  have  forgotten  all  the  foolish  stories  I  have 
heard  about  you." 

"No,  no  !  I  don't  know  that  you  ought  to  do  that," 
she  continued,  "because,  you  see,  a  great  number  of 
them  are  true." 

"  You  wMsli  me  to  remember  them,  then  ?  "  I  cried,  in 
some  surprise. 

"Yes!"  she  answered.  "I  think  you  ought  to  get 
a  clue  for  your  own  guidance  out  of  them.  But  in  saying 
that,  I  wish  you  to  understand  why  I  do  so.  To  do  that 
involves  my  telling  you  my  history.  Are  you  too  tired  to 
listen  to  it  to-night  ?  " 

"Of  course  I  am  not,"  I  answered  quickly,  only  too 


88  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

glad  of  the  opportunity  of  hearing  a  story  that  others 
would  have  given  anything  to  have  had  related  to  them, 
"But  if  it  means  recalling  unhappy  memories,  why  tell 
it  me?  I  shall  serve  you  just  as  faithfully  without 
knowing  it." 

"  I  do  not  doubt  that  for  an  instant,"  she  said,  "  But 
you  must  surely  see.  Dr.  De  Normanville,  that  being 
brought  into  contact  with  yon  as  much  as  I  am,  I  want 
to  set  myself  right  with  you.  I  want  you  to  know  all 
about  me.  Hitherto  you  have  only  thought  of  me,  re- 
member, as — Avell,  as  a  beautiful  woman,  whose  pleasure 
in  life  it  is  to  rob  and  blackmail  innocent  and  unsuspect- 
ing folk  in  this  distant  portion  of  the  globe.  Having 
seen  jour  kindness  and  gentleness  to  my  unfortunate 
people  to-day,  and  honouring  j^ou  for  it  as  I  do,  is  it  to 
be  wondered  at  that  I  want  you  to  understand  my  work 
in  life  ])roperly  ?     May  I  tell  j^ou  my  story  ?  " 

"Please  do  !     It  will  interest  mo  deeply." 

She  moved  over  from  the  gate  to  the  broad  wooden 
rail  that  ran  along  the  path  side,  and  Avhicli  had  evi- 
dently been  placed  there  to  protect  foot  j)assengers  from 
the  abyss.  Leaning  on  it,  she  scanned  the  moonlit  valley 
for  some  moments  without  speaking.  Then  turning  her 
face  toward  me,  she  began  : 

"My  father,  you  must  know.  Dr.  De  Normanville,  was 
a  t3^pical  Englishman  ;  he  cam©  of  a  good  old  Yorkshire 
family,  and  was  an  officer  in  Her  Majesty's  navy  ;  he 
was  also  remarkable  for  his  great  height,  strength,  and 
Avonderful  personal  beauty.  He  was  very  popular  with 
his  fellow-officers  and  men,  and  in  the  early  part  of  his 
career  saw  a  good  deal  of  active  service  in  various  parts 
of  the  globe.     It  was  durino:  the  time  that  he  was  sta- 


HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.       89 

tioned  in  the  West  Indies,  and  soon  after  he  was  made 
commander  of  his  ship,  tliat  he  met  my  mother,  a  beauti- 
ful Creole,  and  married  her.  From  the  moment  of  his 
marriage  the  good  luck  whicli  had  hitherto  attended  his 
career  seemed  to  desert  him  ;  he  lost  his  ship  on  an  un- 
charted rock,  and,  when  he  Avas  appointed  to  another, 
was  ordered  to  a  bad  station,  where  he  nearly  lost  his 
wife  and  his  own  life  of  fever.  With  his  recovery  came 
the  most  unfortunate  part  of  his  career.  For  just  as  he 
was  about  to  be  relieved,  a  charge  was  preferred  against 
him  by  the  admiral  of  the  station,  of  so  base  and  wicked 
a  description  tliat  all  those  who  heard  it  refused  at  first 
to  entertain  the  notion.  lie  was  court-martialled  and 
expelled  the  service.  Since  then  the  charge  has  been 
proved  to  have  been  entirely  without  foundation,  but 
by  the  time  that  was  known  my  poor  father  had  died  in 
exile.  He  appealed,  but  what  was  the  use  of  that? 
To  a  proud,  headstrong  man,  conscious  of  his  innocence, 
such  disgrace  was  unbearable,  and  he  at  length  fled  from 
England,  resolved  to  shake  its  dust  for  ever  off  his  feet. 
He  went  to  India,  but  the  result  of  tlie  trial  was  known 
there,  and  every  post  was  barred  to  him.  He  passed  on 
to  Singapore,  and  finally  to  Hong  Kong,  but  always  with 
the  same  result.  By  this  time  everything  that  was  ob- 
stinate and  worst  in  him  Avas  roused  ;  and  Avhen  the 
admiral,  the  same  who  had  brought  the  charge  against 
him,  was  transferred  to  the  China  station,  my  father 
sought  him  out  in  Shanghai,  decoyed  him  outside  the 
city,  requested  him  to  publicly  admit  that  the  charges 
he  had  brought  against  him  were  false,  and  on  his  refus- 
ing, produced  pistols,  invited  him  to  a  duel,  and  shot 
him  dead.     Then,  while  the  police  were  hunting  for  him. 


90  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

he  fitted  out  a  boat,  with  a  large  sum  of  money  that  had 
some  time  before  been  left  him,  collected  a  dozen  other 
men  as  desperate  as  himself,  tested  them  thoroughly  be- 
fore he  trusted  them,  and,  having  bound  them  to  secrecy, 
set  off  to  find  an  island  where  they  could  lead  their  own 
lives  unhindered  by  the  outside  world.  This  Avas  the 
place  they  came  to,  and  those  old  houses  near  the  har- 
bour were  their  first  dwellings.  Once  in  every  six 
months  my  father  went  off  to  Hong  Kong  for  supplies, 
and  it  was  during  one  of  these  excursions  that  he  met 
the  man  whose  destiny  it  was  to  recognise  him,  and  so 
hasten  the  trouble  that  lay  before  him.  High  words 
passed  between  them,  and  the  result  was  a  betrayal,  and 
a  fight  with  the  police,  in  whicli  two  men  were  left  dead 
upon  the  beach.  That  was  the  beginning  of  the  end. 
The  same  night  a  boatload  of  marines  put  off  to  arrest 
my  father,  Avho  was  in  the  act  of  getting  his  schooner 
under  weigh.  When  they  came  within  hailing  distance 
they  Avere  challenged  and  asked  their  business.  The 
officer  in  charge  replied  that  lie  held  a  warrant  for  my 
father's  arrest.  But  the  latter  had  no  desire  to  fall  into 
the  authorities'  hands  again,  so  he  bade  them  stand  off. 
Tl)e  officer,  however,  ordered  his  men  to  board.  Again 
they  Avere  warned  not  to  approach,  but  they  paid  no  heed  ; 
the  result  may  be  imagined  :  a  volley  was  fired  from  the 
schooner,  and  four  men  out  of  the  six  constituting  the 
boat's  crew,  including  the  officer  in  charge,  fell  dead. 
Without  more  ado  my  father  got  under  weigh,  and 
raced  for  his  life  out  of  the  harbour,  pursued  by  three 
shots  from  the  cruiser  in  the  bay.  From  that  day  for- 
ward he  was  a  proscribed  man.  Rewards  were  offered 
for  his  capture  in  all  the  principal  ports  of  the  East,  not 


HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.       91 

only  by  the  English  Government,  but  by  the  rich  resi- 
dents of  Singapore,  Hong  Kong,  and  the  treaty  ports. 
Considering  that  it  was  not  their  affair,  this  action  on 
the  part  of  his  former  friends  so  enraged  my  father, 
that  he  swore  that  if  ever  one  of  the  signatories  fell  into 
his  hands,  he  would  make  him  pay  dearly  for  his  action. 
It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  Mr,  Vesey,  the  man 
whom  you  perhaps  remember  I  abducted,  was  the  chair- 
man of  the  meeting  that  offered  the  first  reward  for  my 
father,  and  years  afterwards  for  me. 

"  Well,  months  went  by,  and  once  more  the  stores  on 
the  island  began  to  run  short.  It  became  imperatively 
necessary  that  a  fresh  supply  should  be  obtained.  To 
do  this  my  father  repainted  and  rerigged  his  boat,  dis- 
guised himself  and  his  men,  and  sailed  off  for  Shanghai. 
Reaching  that  port,  he  sent  his  mate  ashore  to  make  the 
purchases.  But  suspicion  seems  to  have  been  aroused, 
the  man  was  arrested,  and  had  not  my  father  been  warned 
in  time  and  put  to  sea,  he  would  have  shared  the  same 
fate.  But  he  w-as  resolved  not  to  be  beaten,  and  at  the 
risk  of  his  life  he  went  back  and  ashore.  By  means  of 
a  subterfuge,  which  it  w'ould  take  me  too  long  to  ex- 
plain, he  succeeded  in  rescuing  his  companion.  In  the 
course  of  the  rescue,  however,  a  man  was  killed,  and 
this  closed  the  treaty  ports  even  more  firmly  to  him  than 
before. 

"The  matter  had  become  terribl}^  serious  now.  He 
could  not  go  into  any  port  for  fear  of  being  arrested, 
and  j'et  stores  had  to  be  obtained  for  the  starving  island. 
To  a  headstrong  man  like  my  father,  rendered  desperate 
by  deliberate  injustice,  there  w^as  onl}^  one  natural  way 
out  of  it.     He  made  for  Hong  Kong,  chose  a  dark  night, 


92  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

went  down  the  harbour  in  a  junk,  boarded  a  trading 
boat,  confined  the  skipper  in  liis  cabin,  and  took  posses- 
sion of  his  cargo,  for  which,  it  is  only  fair  to  say,  lie 
paid  the  full  market  price.  The  skipper,  however,  for 
some  purpose  of  his  own,  forgot  the  incident  of  payment, 
went  ashore  in  the  early  morning  and  proclaimed  the 
fact  to  the  police  that  he  had  been  robbed  of  his  cargo 
under  the  very  noses  of  the  cruisers.  The  description 
of  the  robber  tallied  with  that  of  my  father,  and  the  hue 
and  cry  began  again.  Thenceforward  he  declared  him- 
self openly  in  opposition  to  society,  collected  round  liim 
all  the  men  who  were  worth  anything,  and  whose  lives 
were  as  desperate  as  his  own,  and  levied  toll  on  the  ships 
of  all  nations  whenever  occasion  offered.  He  ran  many 
risks,  for  often  he  was  sighted  and  chased  by  cruisers. 
It  was  on  one  of  these  occasions  that  my  poor  mother 
died,  killed  by  an  English  bullet.  Three  months  later 
my  father  caught  the  fever  in  the  Manillas  and  followed 
her  to  the  grave,  bidding  me,  a  girl  of  eighteen,  keep  up 
this  settlement  and  carry  on  the  war  he  had  begun. 
Ever  since  then  the  island  has  been  my  tenderest  care. 
I  have  Avatched  over  it  and  guarded  it  as  a  mother 
guards  her  child.  But  at  the  same  time,  as  you  know,  1 
have  not  spared  my  enemies.  My  first  adventure  proved 
successful,  my  second  well-nigh  ruined  me.  My  father's 
death  had  become  known  by  some  mysterious  means, 
and,  when  it  was  discovered  that  I  was  carrying  on  his 
trade,  a  supreme  effort  was  made  by  the  authorities  to 
capture  mc.  But  they  have  not  succeeded  yet.  The 
same  year  I  had  the  Lone  Star,  the  boat  you  found  me  on, 
built  in  Scotland,  and  began  my  work  in  earnest.  Ever 
since  then  I  have  had  a  price  upon  my  head ;  but,  as  I 


HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.      93 

told  you  on  board  the  Lone  Star,  I  can  trutbfully  say 
that  I  have  never  knowingly  robbed  a  poor  man,  and  as 
you  have  seen  for  yourself,  I  have  materially  helped  a 
good  many.  In  soine  cases,  too, — the  Sultan  of  Surabaya, 
for  instance, — I  have  gone  out  of  my  way  to  assist  the 
oppressed,  and  have  taught  wholesome  lessons  to  their 
rulers  and  oppressors.  Now  you  know  my  stor3^  It 
may  be  that  you  take  a  different  view  of  my  life  and 
would  call  it  by  a  harsh  name.  I  should  be  sorry  to 
think  that.  I  simply  remember  how  my  father's  life 
was  ruined  by  his  enemies,  and  that  I  have  never  been 
given  a  chance,  even  if  I  would  have  taken  it.  The  Eng- 
lish, French,  and  Chinese  governments  are  my  natural 
enemies,  as  they  Avere  my  father's  before  me.  If  the 
innocent  suffer  by  what  I  do,  I  am  deeply  sorry  for  them. 
But  do  your  nations  in  their  wars  heed  the  peasantry  of 
either  side,  even  as  much  as  I  do  ?  I  think  not.  Dr.  De 
Normanville,  most  of  those  white  people  you  saw  to-day 
have  curious  histories.  Do  not  suppose  for  an  instant 
that  I  receive  anyone  here  without  strict  inquiry  into 
bis  temperament  and  antecedents.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  Avhen  I  do  take  him  in,  I  never  swerve  from  ray 
duty  towards  him.     Now,  what  have  you  to  say  ?  " 

*'  I  can  onl}^  answer  that  I  think  your  character  has 
been  grossly  maligned." 

"  No,  don't  say  that,  for  you  are  only  speaking  on  the 
impulse  of  the  moment  ;  and,  besides,  you  must  remem- 
ber that  those  who  speak  against  me  in  that  fashion 
look  upon  my  actions  from  their  own  point  of  view. 
However,  you  will  not  think  so  badly  of  me  for  the 
future,  will  you  ?  " 

As  she  said  this  she  came  a  little  closer  to  me  and 


94  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

looked  me  in  the  face.  Never  before  liacl  I  seen  her 
look  so  beautiful. 

"No,  I  can  safely  promise  you  I  won't,"  I  answered 
stoutly.  "  I  am  your  champion  for  the  future,  come 
what  may." 

"  You  are  very  good  to  me.  Now,  as  we  are  both 
tired,  had  we  not  better  say  good-night?  " 

She  held  out  her  little  hand,  and  for  some  reason, 
goodness  only  knows  what,  I  took  it  and  raised  it  to  my 
lips.  Then  with  another  "  good-night,"  she  turned 
away  from  me  and,  with  the  dog  at  her  heels,  disap- 
peared through  the  gate  and  up  the  path,  among  the 
bushes,  that  led  to  her  abode. 

When  she  had  gone  I  stood  for  a  few  moments  look- 
ing down  upon  the  lovely  panorama  spread  out  before 
me,  then  I  turned  myself  about  and  went  down  the  hill 
to  my  residence  at  the  foot.  But  though  I  went  to  bed 
it  was  not  to  sleep.  The  extraordinary  story  I  had  just 
been  told,  and  the  exciting  events  of  the  day,  were  not  of 
a  nature  calculated  to  induce  repose,  and  so  I  tossed  and 
tumbled  upon  my  couch  hour  after  hour,  till  the  first 
faint  signs  of  dawn  made  their  appearance.  Then  I  had 
a  bath  in  cool  spring  water,  and,  having  dressed,  went 
out  and  began  to  prepare  my  work  for  the  day. 

As  the  sun  made  his  appearance  above  the  tree-tops, 
Christianson  and  his  colleagues,  my  trust}^  lieutenants, 
came  up  the  path  towards  the  house,  and  five  minutes 
later  Alio  herself  appeared  upon  the  scene,  eager  to  be 
employed.  As  she  entered  the  verandah  and  greeted 
me  I  glanced  at  her  face.  But  there  Avas  no  trace  there 
of  the  sadness  of  the  })revious  night.  Indeed,  if  the 
trutli   must  be  told,  there  was  even  a  sort  of  distant 


HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.      95 

haughtiness  about  her  manner  towards  me,  that  was  as 
unexpected  as  it  was  diflBcult  to  account  for, 

"  Good-morning,  Dr.  De  Normanville  !  "  she  said,  as 
she  put  down  on  the  table  tlie  parcel  she  had  brouglit 
with  her.  "  It  is  nearly  five  o'clock  ;  are  you  ready  to 
commence  work  ?" 

"  Quite  ready,"  I  answered,  turning  to  a  man  named 
Andi-ews.  "  To  begin,  sir,  w411  you  and  your  deputies 
hunt  up  the  builders  and  continue  the  »work  at  the 
huts  till  breakfast  time  ? "  Then  turning  to  another, 
"  Mr.  Williams,  you  might  take  three  men  and  erect 
four  bed  places  in  each  hut.  Mr.  Cliristianson,  and  the 
remainder  of  you  gentlemen,  if  j^ou  will  accompany  me, 
we  will  make  a  careful  house-to-house  inspection  of  the 
village." 

Having  despatched  the  others  to  their  various  emplo}'- 
ments,  I  set  off,  accompanied  by  Alie,  to  begin  the 
ghastly  work  of  inspection.  It  must  not  be  supposed 
that  I  in  anj^  w'ay  induced  her  to  run  the  risk  ;  to  tell 
the  truth,  I  protested  vigorously  against  it,  but  without 
result  ;  her  heart  was  set  upon  it,  and  she  would  not  be 
deterred. 

The  first  house  we  visited  was  a  small  one,  built  of 
adobe  mixture  and  inhabited  by  three  people,  two  of 
whom  w^ere  down  Avith  the  disease.  There  had  origi- 
nally been  six  in  the  family,  but  three  had  perished.  I 
made  my  examination,  noted  their  cases  in  my  pocket- 
book,  spoke  some  cheering  words  to  them,  and  passed  on 
to  the  next  house.  This  was  of  wood,  neatly  built,  and 
contained  one  patient  who  was  quite  alone,  his  wife  and 
daughter  having  both  succumbed  to  the  plague.  In  the 
next  there  was  no  case,  nor  the  next ;  but  in  the  three 


96  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

following  there  were  eiglit.  Hardly  a  house  Avas  free 
from  it,  and  in  many  cases,  all  the  inhabitants  being 
dead,  the  buildings  were  quite  tenantless.  By  the 
time  I  had  finished  my  inspection  it  was  eight  o'clock, 
and  I  was  quite  ready  for  breakfast.  This  disposed  of, 
work  was  at  once  resumed. 

Everyone  toiled  with  a  will,  and  the  hut-builders  to 
such  good  purpose,  that  by  midday  twelve  fine  liuts 
were  standing  ready  for  occupation  on  the  slope  of  the 
western  hill.  The  real  work  was  now  about  to  com- 
mence. Summoning  to  my  assistance  those  men  and 
women  who  had  volunteered  to  act  as  nurses,  I  had 
a  number  of  stretchers  made,  and  on  these  conveyed 
the  sufferers  to  the  hospitals.  Four  patients  went  to 
each  hut.  The  men  I  sent  to  those  on  the  right  hand  of 
the  street,  the  Avomen  to  those  on  the  left.  By  this 
means  forty-eight  persons  were  disposed  of,  and  by  five 
o'clock  sufficient  huts  were  at  my  disposal  to  contain  as 
man}'^  more.  By  sundown  every  sufferer  in  the  place 
had  been  removed,  the  nurses  were  duly  instructed  in 
their  diitiesand  installed,  and  the  real  combating  of  the 
disease  had  commenced.  But  at  this  juncture  a  serious 
problem  was  presented  for  our  consideration.  Having 
removed  the  owners  to  places  of  safet}^,  what  were  we 
to  do  with  the  old  houses  and  their  contents  ?  Taking 
Alie  into  my  confidence,  I  explained  the  situation  to  her, 
told  her  how  loth  I  was  to  destroy  so  many  good  build- 
ings, but  at  the  same  time  pointed  out  to  her  how 
imperatively  necessary  it  was  that  every  dwelling  and 
any  article  likely  to  harbour  infection  should  be  got  rid 
of.     To  my  satisfaction  she  met  it  in  the  proper  spirit. 

"  If  it  is  necessary  for  the  safety  of  those  who  remain, 


HOW  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.      97 

there  can  be  no  doubt  at  all  as  to  wbat  course  we  should 
pursue,"  she  answered.  "The  houses  must  go.  And 
that  being  so,  I  must  endeavour  to  make  it  up  to  the 
owners  wlien  they  shall  require  them  again.  Will  you 
give  the  necessary  instructions  ?  " 

I  did  so  forthwith,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  no 
less  than  eighty  houses,  with  their  contents,  were  blazing 
on  the  plain. 

And  so  the  week  went  on,  and  the  nsxt  after  that, 
with  hardly  a  break  in  the  routine  of  work.  Out  of  one 
hundred  cases  treated,  thirty  succumbed  in  the  first 
eight  days,  twelve  in  the  remaining  six,  M'hile  fifteen 
more  were  added  from  the  township  during  the  same 
period. 

And  now  I  must  say  something  about  the  care  and 
attention  bestowed  on  these  patients  by  those  who  bad 
volunteered  for  the  arduous  task  of  nursing.  Indeed,  I 
feel  justified  in  saying  that  no  better  service  could  have 
been  obtained  in  any  London  hospital.  Fortunately,  a 
sincere  bond  of  affection  seemed  to  bind  all  these  people 
together,  and  this,  taken  with  the  influence  exercised  by 
the  Avonderful  woman  at  their  head,  made  its  power 
thoroughly  felt  in  everything  they  did.  And  here  I 
should  also  like  to  put  on  record  Alie's  wonderful  devo- 
tion to  her  people,  during  that  time  of  awful  anxiety. 
Day  in,  day  out,  night  and  morning  alike,  accompanied 
by  her  dog,  she  Avas  occupied  about  the  different  huts, 
helping  and  reproving,  chiding  and  encouraging.  Her 
presence  was  like  a  ray  of  sunlight  which  seemed  to 
light  the  place  long  after  she  had  left  it.  The  conva- 
lescent derived  new  vigour  from  her  touch,  the  dying 
were  soothed  by  her  voice.     Never  once  throughout  the 


98  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

whole  of  tlie  time  did  slie  think  of  lierself  ;  tlie  path  of 
wliat  she  considered  to  be  her  duty  lay  before  her,  and 
the  Beautiful  White  Devil,  the-  notorious  adventuress, 
the  abductor  of  rich  raerchants,  the  terror  of  the  China 
seas,  trod  it  without  murmur  or  complaint.  It  was  a 
wonderful  exhibition  of  womanly  gentleness,  forbear- 
ance, and  endurance.  And  when  I  saw  her,  tired  and 
almost  dispirited  by  the  results  of  tlie  struggle,  and 
noted  how  she  put  all  this  aside,  assumed  a  smiling  face 
to  speak  words  of  comfort  to  some  sufferer,  and  then  re- 
membered the  accusations  and  stories  to  Avhicb  I  had 
listened  in  the  Victoria  Hotel  that  first  evening,  I  felt 
almost  as  mean  and  contemptible  as  it  was  possible  for 
a  man  to  be. 

And  here,  gentle  reader,  let  me  make  a  confession, 
though  I  doubt  if  it  will  come  upon  you  as  a  surprise. 
Already,  I  expect,  you  have  accused  me  of  being  in  love 
with  the  Beautiful  White  Devil.  I  do  not  deny  that  I 
was.  Where  so  many  better  men  had  succumbed,  who 
was  I  that  I  should  go  free  ?  And  surely  if  so  many 
others  had  fallen  captive  to  lier  mere  beauty,  knowing 
next  to  nothing  of  her  real  merit,  I,  who  bad  exceptional 
opportunities  of  studjnng  her  character  under  every 
aspect,  who  saw  her  grave  and  gay,  passionate  and  self- 
sacrificing,  imperious  and  the  most  humble  of  an}^,  miglit 
claim  for  my  aff^ection  that  it  was  based  on  something 
more  tangible  than  any  mere  personal  beauty. 

Yes  !  I  loas  in  love  with  Alie,  and,  what  is  more,  I 
am  in  love  with  her  now,  as  I  shall  be  in  love  with  her 
on  my  dying  day,  and  afterwards  if  that  be  possible. 
And  this  I  can  say  truthfully,  that  throughout  my  love 
for  her,  my  heart  has  known  no  unwortliy  thought.     I 


now  WE  FOUGHT  THE  PLAGUE.      &3 

Lave  loved  her  for  lier  beautiful,  noble,  impulsive,  gener- 
ous self,  and,  if  that  be  an  offence,  I  can  only  say  that  I 
am  proud  to  acknowledge  it. 

But  though  I  was  over  head  and  ears  in  love  with  her, 
seeing  no  sun  in  heaven  when  she  -u-as  not  with  me,  no 
stars  at  night  when  I  was  not  by  her  side,  never  once 
did  I  allow  her  to  suspect  my  passion.  I  did  my  work 
as  I  had  contracted  to  do  it — that  is,  to  the  best  of  my 
abilit}^  But  hard  as  I  worked,  she  worked  harder.  Day 
in,  day  out,  she  was  never  idle  ;  she  took  her  share  of 
nursing,  superintended  the  erection  of  huts  and  houses 
for  those  who  had  been  deprived  of  them,  and  cheered 
and  encouraged  ever3-one  with  whom  she  came  in  con- 
tact. Beautiful  White  Devil,  the  Chinese  called  her. 
Beautiful  White  Angel  would  surely  have  been  a  better 
and  more  appropriate  name. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


A    TEIP    INTO    THE    COUNTKT. 


SixTY-pouK  clays  exactly  after  my  taking  charge  of 
the  health  of  the  settlement,  the  last  patient  was  dis- 
charged from  the  hospital,  cured.  Out  of  one  hundred 
and  ninety-five  cases  treated,  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  had  recovered  ;  the  rest  lay  in  the  little  graveyard 
on  the  hillside  to  the  eastward  of  the  town.  It  had 
been  a  weary,  harassing  time  from  beginning  to  end, 
and  the  strain  and  responsibility  had  had  a  more  severe 
effect  upon  me  than  I  should  have  anticipated.  Alie 
alone,  of  all  the  workers,  seemed  untouched.  Her 
indomitable  will  would  not  permit  her  body  to  know 
such  a  thyig  as  fatigue,  and  for  this  reason  the  last  day 
of  our  work  found  her  powers  as  keen  and  her  energy 
as  unabated  as  they  had  been  on  the  first. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  following  the  discharge 
of  my  last  patient,  she  came  into  the  surgery,  and,  seat- 
ing herself  in  my  armchair,  looked  about  her  with  that 
interest  my  medical  affairs  always  seemed  to  inspire  in 
her. 

"  Dr.  De  Normanville,"  she  began,  clasping  her  little 
white  hands  together  on  the  arm  of  the  chair  ;  "  I  have 
been  watching  you  lateh%  and  I  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  you  are  thorouglily  tired  out.  There  is  but 
one  cure  for  that — rest  and  complete  change  of  air  and 
scene." 

100 


A  TRIP  INTO  THE  COUNTRY.  101 

"And  pray  wliat  makes  you  suppose  I  am  worn  out  ?" 
1  asked,  wiping  a  pair  of  forceps  tliat  I  bad  been  using 
on  a  native  boy  five  minutes  before,  and  putting  them 
back  into  their  case. 

"  The  colour  of  your  face  for  one  thing,"  she  answered, 
"and  the  way  j^ou  move  about  for  another.  Your 
appetite,  I  have  also  noticed,  has  been  gradually  falling 
off  of  late.  No,  it  Ivon't  do  !  My  friend,  j^ou  have  been 
so  good  to  us  that  we  should  be  worse  than  ungrateful 
if  we  allowed  you  to  get  ill.  So,  without  consulting 
you,  I  have  arranged  a  little  holiday  for  you  ! " 

"  That  is  very  kind  of  you,"  I  said  ;  "  and  pray  what 
is  it  to  be  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you.  You  are  an  enthusiastic  botanist 
and  entomologist,  are  you  not  ?  Very  well,  then.  This 
island  abounds  with  unclassified  flora  and  fauna.  I  will 
have  an  expedition  fitted  out  to-day,  and  to-morrow 
morning  we  will  leave  the  settlement  and  plunge  into 
the  interior.  I  expect  a  week's  absence  from  worry  will 
work  a  Avonderful  change  in  you.  At  any  rate,  we'll 
try  it.     What  have  you  to  say  to  my  proposition  ?  " 

"  I  should  like  it  above  all  things,"  I  answered  eagerly. 
And,  indeed,  apart  from  the  scientific  chances  it  would 
afford  me,  a  trip  anywhere  in  her  company  could  not  be 
an^^thing  else  than  delightful. 

Having  gained  her  point,  she  rose  to  go. 

"  I  may  consider  it  settled,  I  supjDOse  ?  "  she  said.  "  At 
daybreak  to-morrow  morning  we  are  to  mount  our  ponies 
in  the  square  down  yonder,  and  set  off.  You  need  not 
bother  about  rifles  or  any  impedimenta  of  that  kind.  I 
will  see  that  you  are  well  provided." 

So  saying  she  withdrew,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  her  that 


102  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

day.  The  rest  of  the  afternoon  I  spent  in  preparing 
my  specimen  boxes  for  the  trip,  and  Avlien  I  sought  my 
coucli  at  night  it  was  to  dream  of  birds  and  beetles  of 
tlie  most  glorious  colouring,  size,  and  variety. 

True  to  our  arrangement,  daybreak  next  morning  found 
me,  booted  and  spurred,  striding  towards  the  village 
square.  Early  as  I  was  at  the  rendezvous,  Alie  was  there 
before  me,  mounted  on  a  neat  bay  pony,  and  evidently 
awaiting  my  coming.  She  wished  me  "good  morning," 
and  then  pointed  to  the  group  of  pack-horses  standing 
at  a  little  distance  in  charge  of  half  a  dozen  men, 

"  We  shall  not  want  for  provisions  during  our 
travels,"  she  said,  with  a  happy  laugh  ;  and  as  she  did 
so  she  signed  to  one  of  her  attendants  to  lead  up  a  pony 
she  had  reserved  for  my  use.  "  The  cook  and  his  staff," 
she  continued,  "have  gone  on  ahead  of  us  to  prej^are 
our  breakfast,  so  now  if  you  are  ready  we'll  start." 

The  order  to  march  was  thereupon  given,  and  we 
immediately  set  off  up  the  mountain  track.  Within 
five  minutes  of  starting  the  settlement  lay  hidden 
behind  the  hill,  M'ith  all  its  painful  memories  and 
anxieties,  and  we  found  ourselves  surrounded  by  the 
primeval  forest.  The  mysterious  silence  of  the  dawn 
still  held  the  landscape,  and  all  nature  seemed  waiting 
for  the  sun  to  make  his  appearance  before  beginning 
the  business  of  the  day.  Here  and  there  in  the  dips, 
and  upon  the  pools,  heavy  mists  wr&athed  and  curled 
themselves,  suggestive  of  malaria  and  a  hundred 
other  unpleasantnesses.  Before  we  have  been  riding 
an  hour,  however,  the  sun  rose  in  all  his 
majesty ;  in  a  trice  the  forest  woke  to  life  and 
activity ;    hordes    of    monkeys    leaped    from    branch    to 


A  TRIP  IXTO  THE  COUNTRY.  103 

branch  above  our  beads,  in  many  cases  racing  us  nearly 
a  liundrecl  j-ards  before  tliey  left  us ;  gigantic  swine 
crashed  through  the  undergrowth,  almost  under  our 
ponies'  noses  ;  while  birds  of  every  plumage  flew,  from 
tree  to  tree,  across  our  path.  A  moment  before  the 
world  had  seemed  dead,  now  it  was  full  and  brimming 
over  with  vitality'". 

When  the  first  half-dozen  miles  were  overcome  the 
aspect  of  the  country  began  to  change  ;  it  became  more 
open,  and  we  continually  emerged  from  timber  on  to 
highly-grassed  plains,  Avhere  pig  and  deer  of  many 
kinds  were  to  be  seen  feeding  placidly.  Towards  eight 
o'clock  the  trend  of  the  country  lay  upward,  and  con- 
tinued so  until  we  had  mounted  to  a  considerable 
elevation,  when  an  extensive  panorama  was  unfolded 
before  us.  The  island  must  indeed  have  been  a  large 
one  if  it  could  be  judged  by  the  extensive  views  we  had 
presented  to  us  of  it ;  onl}^  on  the  settlement  side  could 
I  see  the  sea,  while  on  the  other  the  forest  rolled  away 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

At  half-past  eight,  or  between  that  and  nine  o'clock, 
we  commenced  to  descend  again,  following  the  course  of 
a  pretty  stream,  until  our  guides  came  back  to  tell  us 
that  we  were  approaching  the  spot  where  it  bad  been 
arranged  we  should  partake  of  breakfast. 

And  surely  enough,  as  we  reached  the  bottom  of  the 
valley,  the  smoke  of  a  fire  rose  above  the  palms  before 
us,  and,  a  few  seconds  later,  we  were  permitted  a  viev*'^ 
of  an  impromptu  camp,  with  a  blazing  fire,  and  a  white 
man  actively  engaged  beside  it,  frying-pan  in  hand. 
As  I  looked  at  the  little  scene  I  could  not  help  tbinking 
of  the  many  picnics  I  had  assisted  at  in  dear  old  Eng- 


,104  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

land,  and  I  naturally  fell  to  comparing  tliem  with  tliis 
one,  at  wliich  I  was  the  guest  of  so  extraordinary  a 
woman,  under  such  novel  and  exciting  circumstances. 

Had  I  been  told  only  half  a  year  before  that  I  should 
be  picnicking  on  an  island  in  the  North  Pacific,  of  which 
I  knew  neither  the  location  nor  the  name,  with  a  woman 
who  had  a  reputation  such  as  Alie  unfortunately  pos- 
sessed, I  sliould  certainly  have  refused  to  believe  it. 
Yet  it  was  so,  and,  what  was  more  to  the  point,'  I  was 
not  only  picnicking,  but  was  head  over  ears  in  love  with 
that  self-same  woman,  and,  what  was  perhaps  still  more 
extraordinary,  gloried  in  the  fact. 

As  soon  as  breakfast  Avas  over  we  remounted  our 
ponies  and  pushed  on  in  the  same  fashion,  through  the 
same  sort  of  country,  Avith  a  brief  halt  at  midday,  until 
nightfall.  Towards  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  \iew 
once  more  began  to  change  ;  craggy  uplands  rose  on  our 
right,  while  the  same  wonderful  forest  still  continued  on 
our  left.  What  struck  me  as  remarkable  was  the  fact 
that  so  far  we  had  seen  no  villages  and  encountered  no 
natives.  Could  the  island — if  island  it  really  were,  and 
of  that  I  was  beginning  to  have  my  doubts — be  inhabited 
only  by  the  people  of  our  settlement  ?  It  seemed 
scarcely  probably,  but  if  not,  where  were  the  rest  of  its 
aboriginal  population  ? 

A  little  before  sundown,  Alie  informed  me  that  we 
were  close  opon  our  destination.  And  surely  enough, 
just  as  the  orb  of  day  disappeared  behind  the  tree  tops, 
we  saw  before  us,  on  a  small  plateau,  foui'  or  five  large 
and  exceedingly  comfortable  huts,  which  the  men  who 
had  preceded  us  that  morning  had  erected  for  our  ac- 
commodation.    They  faced  towards  the  east,  and  the 


A  TRIP  INTO   THE   COUNTRY.  105 

view  from  the  little  terrace  on  wbicli  they  stood  was 
beautiful  in  the  extreme.  Across  it,  and  for  a  short  dis- 
tance below,  the  land  was  open,  then  the  undergrowth 
began  again,  gradually  rising  from  small  bushes  to  great 
trees,  and  afterwards  continuing  in  one  unbroken  sea  of 
green,  away  to  where  the  faint  outline  of  a  mountain 
range  peered  up,  upon  the  southeastern  horizon.  It  was 
a  picture  to  see  and  remember  for  ever. 

Having  dismounted  from  our  ponies,  we  prepared  to 
make  ourselves  comfortable.  The  distribution  of  huts 
was  as  follows  :  Alie  took  that  to  the  right,  I  bad  a 
large  one  on  the  left,  while  that  in  the  centre  was  set 
apart  for  our  dining-room  and  sitting-room  (if  we 
wanted  to  be  indoors,  whicb  was  unlikely);  the  fourth 
was  destined  for  the  accommodation  of  the  cook,  and 
from  it  already  resounded  the  clatter  of  pots  and  pans. 

Full  of  curiosity  to  see  in  Avhat  sort  of  comfort  Alie 
travelled,  I  entered  my  own  hut,  and  was  amazed  at  the 
completeness  of  the  arrangements.  A  comfortable  bed- 
place,  with  mosquito  curtains,  occupied  one  side  ;  a 
square  of  matting  covered  the  floor,  a  portable  Avash- 
hand  stand  stood  near  the  bed  ;  while  against  the  op- 
posite wall,  neatly  arranged  in  a  rack,  were  my  guns 
and  specimen  cases.  By  the  time  I  had  washed  off 
the  stains  of  travel,  and  exchanged  ray  riding  costume 
for  a  lounge  suit,  the  native  gong  had  summoned  us  to 
dinner,  and  Alie  and  I,  meeting  on  the  terrace,  entered 
the  centre  hut  together. 

If  I  had  been  surprised  at  the  completeness  of  the  ar- 
rangements of  my  own  hut,  how  much  more  astonished 
was  I  now.  Indeed,  had  it  not  been  for  the  walls,  which 
were  covered  with  some  peculiar  sort  of  tapestry,  and 


106  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL. 

the  different  ceiling,  I  sLould  hardly  have  known  that 
we  were  not  in  the  bungalow  at  the  settlement.  The 
white  cloth,  the  glittering  glass  and  silver,  the  costly 
ornaments  and  the  profusion  of  dishes,  were  the  same  ; 
and  when  the  same  impassive  servant  entered  to  wait 
upon  us,  chid  in  his  usual  white  liverj^,  mj  astonishment 
was  complete,  Alie  was  in  exceptionally  good  spirits 
and  for  this  reason  the  meal  proceeded  in  a  most  de- 
lightful fashion. 

When  it  was  over  we  drew  our  chairs  outside  into  the 
gathering  gloom,  and  sat  watching  the  fire-flies  dashing 
in  and  out  amid  the  tangle  of  dark  forest  across  the 
plateau.  It  was  indeed  a  night  to  be  remembered. 
Overhead  the  tropic  stars  shone  in  all  their  beauty  ; 
around  us  were  the  unfathomable  depths  of  the  forest ; 
from  the  right  sounded  the  tinkling  music  of  a  stream  ; 
Avhile  now  and  again  out  of  the  darkness  would  come 
the  deep  note  of  some  forest  animal,  or  the  melancholy 
hoot  of  an  owl  or  other  night  bird. 

Later  on,  by  Alie's  orders,  enormous  fires  were  lit  at 
intervals  all  round  the  circle  of  the  camp,  and  these  not 
only  failed  to  detract  from,  but  succeeded  in  adding  to, 
the  weird  picturesqueness  of  the  scene.  From  the  dark- 
ness behind  us  we  could  catch  the  subdued  voices  of  our 
followers,  varied  now  and  again  by  the  occasional  snort- 
ing and  stamping  of  the  picketed  ponies. 

"How  beautiful  it  all  is!"  said  Alie,  looking  up  at 
the  Avinking  stars.  Then,  as  if  to  herself,  "  If  only  we 
could  alwa3's  be  as  peaceable  as  this,  how  much  happier 
we  should  be  !  " 

"  Do  you  really  think  we  should  ? "  I  answered. 
"  Don't  vou  thiidc  it  is  the  wild  unrest  and  turmoil  of 


A  TRIP  INTO  THE  COUNTRY.       107 

the  world,  to  say  nothing  of  that  constant  struggling, 
which  makes  existence  so  sweet  to  us  ?  " 

"Ah  !  You  speak  of  your  own  world,"  she  said 
sadly.  "Think  wliat  my  world  is?  Continual  plot- 
ting, endless  striving,  with  alwaj^s  the  one  great  dread 
of  capture  hanging  over  me.  Oh  !  Dr.  De  Normanville, 
you  little  know  the  sort  of  life  I  lead  ! " 

"  Then  why  do  you  go  on  with  it  ?  If  onl}^  I 
might " 

I  checked  myself  suddenly.  Another  moment  and  the 
fatal  words  would  have  passed  my  lips.  But  to  see  her 
tlius  and  not  to  tell  her  of  my  love  was  almost  more  than 
I  could  bear.  I  kept  a  tight  rein  upon  myself,  however, 
and  crammed  the  words  back  into  my  heart.  Slie  had 
paused,  and  was  looking  away  towards  the  dark  forest. 

"  Why  do  I  go  on  with  it  ?  "  she  answered,  a  few 
moments  later.  "  Because  I  must  !  Because  there  is  no 
one  else  to  guide  and  care  for  them  but  me." 

"  But  supposing  you  were  caught  ?  They  would  have 
to  shift  for  themselves  then." 

"  I  shall  never  be  taken  alive.  That  is,  except  by 
treachery.  No,  Dr.  De  Normanville,  come  what  may,  I 
can  never  forsake  them.  My  duty  lies  before  me,  and 
as  I  have  endeavoured  to  do  it  in  the  past,  so  I  must 
strive  to  do  it  in  the  future.  But  it  is  getting  late,  and 
we  have  travelled  a  long  distance  to-day.  Don't  you 
think  we  had  better  bid  each  other  good-night  ?  " 

As  she  spoke  she  rose,  and  I  followed  her  example. 
Then  she  shook  hands,  wished  me  good-night,  and  dis- 
appeared into  her  own  hut,  her  dog  at  her  heels.  When 
slie  had  gone  I  reseated  myself,  lit  another  cigar,  and 
fell  to  work  upon  my  thoughts.     Away  in  the  darkness 


108  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

beyond  the  leaping  fires,  a  Sambbur  deer,  probably  dis- 
turbed by  our  lights,  was  barking  to  bis  mate,  and  in  a 
tree  near  at  band  a  night  bird  hooted  dolefully.  The 
first  sweetness  of  the  evening  had  passed,  and  now  an 
unutterable  melancholy  seemed  to  have  laid  its  hand 
upon  it.  When  my  cigar  was  finished  I  passed  into  my 
hut,  glanced  at  my  rifles  to  see  that  they  were  ready  to 
my  hand  in  case  of  need,  and,  having  disrobed  myself, 
went  to  bed.  Tired  as  I  was,  my  slumbers  were  almost 
dreamless,  and  it  seemed  but  a  few  minutes  from  the 
time  I  laid  my  head  upon  my  pillow  before  ni}^  servant 
was  waking  me  to  the  new-born  <\ay. 

Immediately  breakfast  was  over  I  took  my  specimen 
cases  and  a  light  rifle,  and,  accompanied  by  Alie  and 
two  of  our  native  servants,  dived  into  the  forest  on  col- 
lecting thoughts  intent.  But  the  profusion  of  subjects 
was  so  vast  that  it  was  difficult  to  know  quite  Avhere  to 
begin.  At  every  turn  some  peculiar  grass,  some  plant, 
some  shrub  would  arrest  my  attention,  while  in  the  air 
butterflies,  beetles,  and  birds  innumerable  seemed  to 
call  upon  me  to  catch  and  catalogue  them  without 
delay.  Alie  had  quite  recovered  her  good  spii'its  by 
this  time,  and  having  once  grasped  the  general  idea, 
followed  her  new  hobby  with  the  same  impassioned 
ardour  that  was  noticeable  in  eveiything  she  undertook. 
By  midday  our  cases  were  full  to  bursting,  so  we 
returned  to  the  camp  to  lunch.  In  the  afternoon  we 
continued  our  work,  but  this  time  without  our  native 
followers,  who,  when  all  was  said  and  done,  preferred 
chattering  to  working,  and  in  more  ways  than  one  were 
in  the  way. 

Leaving  the  camp,   we  struck  into  the  forest  in  a 


A  TRIP  IXTO  THE  COUNTRY.  109 

southeasterly  direction,  following  the  course  of  a  tiny 
streain  that  evidently  had  its  origin  in  the  mountain 
range  elsewhere  described.  Game  of  all  sorts 
abounded  ;  twice  I  saw  herds  of  small  deer  alongside 
the  river  bank  ;  wild  swine  we  continually  met  with, 
and  once  I  felt  certain  the  spoor  we  saw  round  a  big 
pool  was  that  of  an  elephant.  Indeed,  Alie  informed 
me  that  the  natives  had  often  informed  her  that  in  their 
hunting  expeditions  they  had  met  with  these  gigantic 
beasts.  This  circumstance,  perhaps  more  than  anything 
else,  set  me  wondering  Avhere  Alie's  marvellous  island 
could  be  located. 

By  the  time  the  sun  declined  upon  the  mountain  our 
boxes  were  once  more  full,  and  we  turned  our  heads 
campwards,  following  on  our  homeward  route  the  course 
of  the  same  stream  we  had  pursued  on  our  outward  jour- 
ney. It  was  warm  work,  and  when  about  half  our  walk 
was  done  we  stopped  on  a  little  rise  to  look  about  us. 

Alie  seated  herself  on  a  fallen  tree,  and  I  put  down 
my  boxes  and  took  my  place  beside  her.  Throughout 
the  afternoon  she  had  been  a  little  quiet,  and  I  must  own 
that  my  own  spirits  were  none  too  lively.  Enjoyable  as 
our  excursion  had  proved,  it  was  nevertheless  a  fact  that 
every  day  was  bringing  my  stay  in  the  island  nearer  to 
its  close,  and,  under  the  circumstances,  I  could  not  help 
feeling  that,  my  duty  done,  it  behoved  me  to  be 
moving  on  as  soon  as  possible.  And  yet  the  thought  of 
leaving  this  woman,  into  whose  life  I  had  flashed  like  a 
meteor,  and  whom  I  had  come  so  desperately  to  love, 
was  agonising  to  me. 

Alie  rolled  a  small  stone  into  the  foaming  torrent 
below  us  and  then  turned  to  me. 


110  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"Dr.  De  Norman ville,"  she  began, — and  it  struck  me 
that  she  hesitated  a  good  deal  over  what  she  had  to 
say, — "  when  my  agent  visited  j^ou  in  Hong  Kong  and 
induced  you  to  come  to  our  assistance,  he  jjromised  that, 
as  soon  as  your  Avork  was  completed,  you  should  he 
returned  safe  and  sound  to  the  place  whence  you 
started.  Your  work  is  completed,  and  now  it  only 
remains  for  j-ou  to  say — well,  to  say  when  j'ou  wish  to 
leave  us." 

This  speech,  following  on  top  of  what  I  had  been 
thinking  myself,  put  me  in  a  strange  position,  and  for  a 
minute  I  did  not  know  how  to  answer.  Then  a  torrent 
of  words  and  protestations  rose  uj^on  my  lips,  but  I 
pressed  them  back,  and  to  gain  time  for  reflection  asked 
a  question. 

"I  hope  that  I  liave  done  my  Avork  to  your  satis- 
faction ?  " 

"How  can  you  ask  such  a  thing?"  she  answered 
promptly.  "  You  have  worked  for  us  as  few  other  men 
would  ever  have  done.  I  cannot," — here  her  voice 
trembled  a  little,  and  her  beautiful  eyes  filled  -with 
tears, — "I  cannot  ever  thank  you  as  I  would  wish  to  do." 

Either  her  tear-laden  eyes  or  this  expression  of  her 
gratitude  must  have  deprived  me  of  my  self-control,  for 
when  she  had  finislied  speaking,  my  presence  of  mind 
comj^letely  deserted  me,  and  without  more  ado  I  drew 
closer  to  her  on  the  tree,  and,  taking  her  hand  in  mine, 
said,  almost  without  thinking  of  my  words  : 

"  Alie,  cannot  you  see  tliat  there  can  be  no  question 
of  thanks  between  us?  Cannot  you  see  why  I  have 
worked  so  hard  for  you  ?  Cannot  you  see  that  1  would 
give  my  own  existence  to  save  for  you  even  the  life  of 


A  TRIP  INTO  THE  COUNTRY.  HI 

the  dog  you  loved  ?  Have  my  actions  not  spoken  for 
themselves  ?  " 

She  rose  to  her  feet,  but  I  noticed  that  she  turned  her 
face  away  and  would  not  look  at  me.  I  could  feel 
that  she  was  trembling  violently.  In  sjDite  of  this  I 
continued  : 

"  Alie  !  You  must  see  that  I  love  you  with  my  whole 
heart  and  soul.  From  the  moment  I  first  saw  you  on 
jour  yacht's  deck  I  liave  been  your  slave.  I  know  it  is 
madness  for  a  man  like  me  to  hope  to  win  such  a  queen 
among  women  as  yourself  ;  but  I  cannot  help  it.  Send 
me  away  from  you  if  you  will,  but  there  is  one  thing 
beyond  your  power  to  do,  and  that  is  to  take  away  from 
me  my  love." 

"  Hush,  hush  !  for  pity's  sake  !  " 

"  No,  Alie  ;  I  cannot  stop.  I  have  gone  too  far  now 
to  draw  back.  Day  by  day  I  have  hidden  away  in  my 
heart — I  have  tried  to  crush  down  and  stifle,  this  love  of 
mine  ;  but  it  will  not  be  hidden,  it  will  not  be  crushed,  it 
will  not  be  stifled.  Now  the  flood  has  risen,  it  has  burst 
its  bonds  and  washed  away  all  tliought  of  prudence. 
You  have  learned  my  secret.  Alie,  is  there  no  hope  at 
all  for  me  ?  I  know  I  am  not  worthy  of  you,  but  I  am 
an  honest  man,  and  I  love  you  with  my  whole  heart  and 
soul." 

"  Dr.  De  Normanville,"  she  said  slowly,  turning  her 
tear-stained  face  towards  me,  "  I  am  sorry,  more  sorry 
than  you  will  ever  guess,  that  you  should  have  told  me 
this.  Many  men  have  let  me  know  their  love  before 
now,  and  I  was  able  to  tell  them  without  pain  to  myself 
that  it  could  not  be.  Now,  you  love  me,  you  who  have 
been  so  true  and  so  brave,  and  I  have  to  make  you  see 


112  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

that  what  you  wish  can  never  be  possible.  Do  not 
think  I  ara  insensible  of  the  honour  you  have  done  me, 
for  it  would  honour  any  woman  to  be  asked  to  be  your 
wife.  Do  not  think  that  it  does  not  pain  me  to  hurt 
you  so.  But,  oh,  Dr.  De  Normanville,  cannot  you  see 
that  I  can  be  no  man's  wife,  much  less  yours  ?  " 

"  And  Avhy,  in  Heaven's  name,  not  ?  " 

All  this  time  she  had  not  attempted  to  withdraw 
her  hand  from  mine. 

"  Because,  according  to  your  lights,  I  am  not  Avorthy. 
You  have  this  moment  called  yourself  an  honest  man. 
Well,  then,  judged  by  your  ideas  of  honesty,  I  am  not 
an  honest  woman.  Look  at  your  own  career  ;  look  at 
the  name  you  have  alread}^  created  for  j^ourself  ;  think 
of  your  future  ;  then  how  can  I — a  woman,  hunted  by 
every  nation,  a  woman  on  wliose  head  a  price  is  set,  who 
dares  not  show  her  face  in  a  civilised  countrv — allow 
herself  to  share  that  name  and  that  future  with  j^ou. 
Ask  yourself  that  question,  and  answer  it  before  you 
think  of  making  me  your  wife." 

"  I  can  have  no  f  utuj'e  without  you  !  " 

"  That  is  no  answer  to  my  question.  No,  Dr.  De 
Normanville,  I  am  sorry,  more  sorry  than  you  Avill 
ever  know,  that  this  trouble  should  have  come  upon  you. 
But  when  jon  have  time  to  reflect,  you  will  see,  as  clearly 
as  I  do,  that  what  you  ask  is  impossible.  It  can  never 
be!" 

"  One  question  before  yon  say  it  cannot  be  !  "  I  cried. 
"I  will  not  insult  you  by  imploring  you  to  tell  me  the 
truth.  You  will  do  that  without  my  asking.  But  we 
will  suppose  for  the  moment  that  you  were  not  the  out- 
law  you  declare  yourself  to  be,  and  I  asked  you  the 


A  TRIP  INTO  THE  COUNTRY.       113 

same  question,  will  you  tell  me  if  you  would  give  me 
the  same  answer,  then  ?  " 

"  It  is  unfair  of  you  to  put  it  in  that  way,"  she  said, 
toying  with  a  leaf.  "But  since  you  do  ask,  I  will  tell 
you  truthfully.  If  I  were  in  the  position  j'ou  describe, 
and  you  asked  me  to  share  your  life  with  you,  I  would 
give  you  this  answer,  that  I  would  be  your  wife  or  the 
wife  of  no  other  man," 

"You  love  me  then,  Alie?" 

My  heart  seemed  to  stop  beating  while  I  waited  for 
her  answer.  When  it  did  pass  her  lij)s,  it  was  so  soft 
that  I  could  hardly  hear  it. 

"  Yes,  I  do  love  you." 

Before  she  could  prevent  me  I  bad  taken  her  in  my 
arms,  and  rained  kisses  upon  her  beautiful  face.  For  a 
moment  she  did  not  resist.  Then  she  withdrew  herself, 
panting,  from  my  arms. 

"  Let  me  go,"  she  gasped  ;  "  you  must  not  do  this. 
No,  no,  no  !  What  am  I  telling  you.  Oh,  why  cannot 
you  see  that  what  you  wish  is  impossible  ?  " 

"  As  I  live,"  I  cried  in  return,  "  it  is  not  impossible, 
and  it  never  shall  be  !  Since  you  own  yourself  that  you 
love  me,  I  will  not  live  without  you.  I  love  you  as  I 
verily  believe  man  never  loved  woman  before.  If  I 
were  a  poet  instead  of  a  prosaic  doctor,  I  should  tell  you, 
Alie,  that  to  me  your  smile  is  like  God's  sunshine  ;  I 
would  tell  you  that  the  wind  only  blows  to  carry  to  the 
world  the  story  of  my  love  for  you  ;  I  would  tell  you  all 
this  and  more — yes,  a  thousand  times  more.  But  I  am 
no  poet,  I  am  only  a  man  who  loves  you  for  your  own 
beautiful  self,  for  your  sweetness,  your  loneliness,  your 
tenderness  to  those  about  you.     What  does  fame  mean 


114  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

for  me  !  I  want  only  you.  Let  me  have  you  for  my 
companion  tlirougli  life,  and  I  will  go  with  you  where 
you  wish,  stay  here  with  you,  if  you  please,  or  go  away, 
just  as  you  may  decide  ;  I  have  but  one  ambition,  and 
that  is  to  be  worthy  of  you,  to  help  you  to  do  good. 
All  I  ask  is  to  be  allowed  to  live  the  life  you  live 
yourself  !  " 

"And  you  think  that  I  would  let  you  make  this 
sacrifice  for  me  ?  No  !  no  !  Oh,  Avhy  cannot  you  see 
that  it  is  impossible?" 

Again  I  attempted  to  take  her  in  my  arms.  But  this 
time  she  eluded  me,  and  with  a  choking  sob  fled 
through  the  scrub  towards  the  camp.  Seeing  that  it 
was  useless  to  attempt  to  reason  with  her  in  her  present 
state,  I  followed  more  leisurely,  reaching  the  huts  just 
as  the  gong  w'as  sounding  for  dinner.  As  soon  as  my 
ablutions  were  performed,  I  sought  the  dining  hut,  but 
my  hostess  w^as-not  there,  I  waited,  and  })rcscntly  tlie 
servant  arrived  to  inform  me  that  she  was  not  well,  and 
would  dine  in  her  own  apartment. 

I  was  not  prepared  for  this,  and  my  thoughts  during 
my  solitary  meal,  and  wlien  I  was  smoking  on  the 
plateau  before  the  huts  afterwards,  were  b}-  no  means 
pleasant.  Glad  though  I  was  that  I  had  made  her 
aware  of  ray  sentiments  towards  her,  I  almost  began  to 
"U'ish,  if  she  were  going  to  avoid  me,  that  I  had  deferred 
my  explanation  until  Ave  had  reached  tlie  settlement 
again.     But  I  was  destined  to  see  her  that  night  after  all. 

About  ten  o'clock,  just  as  I  was  thinking  of  retiring 
to  my  own  lint,  I  heard  a  footstep  behind  my  cliaii',  and 
a  moment  later  Alie,  accompanied  by  lier  dog,  stood 
before  me. 


A  TRIP  INTO  THE  COUNTRY.  115 

"Dr.  De  Normanville,"  slie  said  softly,  "I  cannot 
imagine  wliat  you  must  think  of  me?  I  have  come  to 
tell  you  that  I  felt  I  could  not  sleep  nntil  I  bad 
apologised  to  you." 

Her  penitence  sat  so  prettily  upon  her  that  it  was 
as  much  as  I  could  do  to  prevent  mj'self  taking  her 
in  my  arms  and  telling  her  so.  But  I  managed  -some- 
how to  keep  myself  within  bounds,  and  only  said  in 
reply  : 

"  You  must  not  sa}"  a  word  about  it.  I  was  equally 
to  blame.  Great  as  is  my  love  for  3-ou,  I  should  not 
have  forced  it  upon  you  in  that  unseemly  fashion." 

"No  !  No!  Don't  say  that.  I  want  you  really  to 
understand  my  gi'atitude.  That  I  love  you,  I  have  said. 
Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  have  confessed  it.  But  seeing 
that  I  have  done  so,  and  have  told  you  exactly  what  my 
position  in  tlie  world  is,  you  must  see  that  it  is  that  very 
love  which  keeps  me  from  giving  myself  to  j'ou  as  I 
Bhould  like  to  do.  I  don't  make  my  meaning  very  clear, 
but  can  you  understand  that  ?  " 

"I  think  I  do,"  I  said.  "But  it  does  not  alter  mj- 
position.  I  love  you  as  I  shall  never  love  any  other 
woman.  As  I  told  you  this  afternoon,  my  whole  life  is 
bound  up  in  yon.  It  remains  for  you  to  say  whether  I 
shall  be  the  happiest  or  the  most  miserable  of  men. 
Remember,  save  for  my  sister,  I  am  alone  in  the  world. 
Therefore,  as  she  is  amply  provided  for,  I  have  only 
myself  to  think  of.  If  3'ou  will  have  me,  I  will  give  my 
life  to  you  to  do  as  you  please  with," 

"  This  generosity  is  like  yourself.  Will  you  let  me 
make  a  bargain  with  you  ?  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 


116  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  It  is  this.  First,  you  sliall  promise  not  to  speak  of 
tliis  to  me  again  until  I  give  you  permission." 

"  I  will  promise  that.     And  on  your  part  ?  " 

"  I  will  promise  to  give  you  my  answer  at  the  end  of 
twelve  months.  In  the  meantime,  you  will  go  back  to 
England,  live  your  own  life,  and  on  the  first  day  of  May 
next  year,  if  you  still  love  me,  and  are  as  anxious  then 
to  make  your  sacrifice  as  you  are  now,  I  will  meet  you 
again  and  be  your  wife  as  soon  as  you  please.  What  do 
you  say  ?  " 

For  a  few  moments  I  could  answer  nothing  ;  then, 
though  I  am  not  theatrically  inclined  as  a  general  rule, 
I  fell  on  my  knee,  and  taking  her  hand  kissed  it,  saying 
in  a  voice  I  hardly  recognised  as  my  own  : 

"  My  queen  and  my  wife  !  " 

"  You  are  content  to  abide  by  that?  " 

"Since  you  wish  it,  I  am  more  than  content,"  I  an- 
swered, my  heart  overflowing  with  happiness. 

"  Then  let  us  say  no  more  on  the  subject.  Good- 
night !  and  may  God  bless  you  !  " 

She  turned  and  left  me  without  another  word,  and 
when  I  had  seen  her  disappear  into  her  hut,  I  too  sought 
my  couch,  to  dream,  as  I  hoped,  of  the  happiness  that 
the  future  had  in  store  for  me. 


CHAPTER  Vn. 


AN   EXCITING   DAY. 


But  though  I  went  to  bed  to  sleep,  and  was  suf- 
ficiently romantic  to  hope  that  I  should  dream  of  the 
future  I  was  to  spend  with  Alie,  I  was  destined  to  be 
disappointed.  JVIy  mind  was  in  such  a  state  of  excite- 
ment that  no  sort  of  rest  was  possible  to  me.  Hour 
after  hour  I  tossed  and  tumbled  upon  my  couch,  now 
hovering  on  the  borderland  of  sleej),  now  wide  awake, 
listening  to  the  murmur  of  the  stream  beyond  the  camp, 
and  the  thousand  and  one  noises  of  the  night.  When 
at  last  I  did  doze  off,  my  dreams  were  not  pleasant,  and 
I  awoke  from  them  quite  unrefreshed.  Springing  oat  of 
bed  I  went  to  the  door  to  look  out.  It  was  broad  day- 
light, and  the  sun  was  in  the  act  of  rising.  To  go  back 
to  bed  was  impossible,  so,  as  breakfast  was  still  some 
hours  ahead,  I  dressed  myself,  took  a  rifle  from  the 
stand,  and  slipping  a  dozen  or  so  cartridges  into  the 
pocket  of  my  shooting  coat,  procured  a  few  biscuits 
from  the  dining-hut,  and  strolled  across  the  open  space 
into  the  forest  beyond.  It  was  a  glorious  morning  for 
a  hunting  excursion,  and  before  I  had  gone  half  a  mile 
I  had  secured  a  fine  deer  for  the  camp's  commissariat. 
Fixing  the  spot  where  I  had  left  it,  and  feeling  certain 
some  of  the  natives  would  soon  be  on  my  trail  after 
hearing  the    report,  I  plunged    further    into  the  jungle, 

iir 


118  THE  BEAUTIFUJi  WHITE  DEVIL. 

capturing  here  and  there  a  beetle,  a  butterfly,  or  a  bird, 
as  they  chanced  to  fall  in  my  way. 

While  I  walked  my  brain  was  busily  occupied,  but 
dominating  all  was  the  remembrance  that  Alie — the 
wonderful,  the  beautiful,  the  mysterious  Alie — loved 
me.  What  cared  I  for  the  sort  of  life  she  led?  What 
did  it  matter  to  me',  since  I  had  seen  and  grasped  her 
real  character  for  myself,  what  other  people  might  say 
of  her  ?  Had  I  not  observed  her  courage  in  moments 
of  extreme  peril?  had  I  not  witnessed  her  tenderness 
by  the  bedside  of  dying  men  and  women  ?  had  I  not 
noted  hqr  devotion  to  what  she  considered  her  duty  ? 
Yes,  and  better  than  all  was  the  knowledge  that  she 
had  promised  to  be  my  wife  if  I  would  wait  a  year  for 
her.  Would  I  wait  ?  Why,  of  course  I  would — ten 
years,  twent}',  nay  a  lifetime,  if  only  I  could  secure  her 
at  the  end. 

With  these  thoughts  in  m}^  mind,  I  trudged  briskly 
on,  keeping  both  eyes  open  for  any  specimens,  botanical 
or  otherwise,  that  might  come  in  my  way.  Then  leav- 
ing the  little  stream,  whose  course  we  had  followed  on 
the  previous  day,  behind  me,  I  struck  out  towards  the 
west,  and  presently  forsook  the  forest,  to  emerge  on  to 
an  open  plain  about  a  mile  long  by  half  that  distance 
wide.  To  the  northward  \siy  a  high  cane  brake,  to  the 
south  a  deep  ravine,  and  on  the  open  between  them  a 
large  herd  of  deer  was  feeding  quietly.  Remembering 
that  I  had  been  told  on  the  previous  day  that  the 
cook  was  short  of  fresh  meat,  I  resolved  to  see  how 
man}^  I  could  bring  to  book.  The  only  way  to  stalk 
them  was,  of  course,  to  approach  them  upwind,  and  in 
order  to  do  this  it  was  necessary  that  I  should  cross  a 


AN  EXCITING  DAY.  119 

stony  ridge  wliich  ran  parallel  with  tlie  edge  of  tlie 
ravine  mentioned  above.  As  tliere  would  not  be  a 
vestige  of  cover  between  us  the  chances  were  a  hundred 
to  one  that  I  sliould  reveal  n\y  presence  to  them  while 
passing  over  the  open  space  and  then  the  herd  would 
give  one  look  and  be  off  like  the  wind.  However,  I  was 
going  to  chance  that,  so  throwing  myself  down  flat 
upon  my  stomach,  I  wriggled  myself  up  the  side  of  the 
little  eminence,  pausing  now  and  again  to  take  breath, 
until  I  reached  the  summit,  thence  made  my  Avay  out  on 
to  the  bare  face  of  the  hill  until,  at  the  end  of  twenty 
minutes,  I  was  within  a  thousand  paces  of  them. 

The  herd  still  fed  on,  though  once  I  saw  an  old  buck 
raise  his  head  and  look  round  as  if  he  scented  danger. 
But  as  1  remained  quiet  for  a  few  moments  he  resumed 
his  feeding,  and  when  he  had  done  so  I  continued  my 
painful  crawl.  But  the  worst  part  of  the  business  was 
still  to  come,  for  having  got  up  to  them  against  the 
wind  I  had  now,  unless  I  was  content  to  chance  a  long 
shot,  to  descend  the  hillock  again  on  to  the  |)lain.  This 
Avas  a  piece  of  work  which  would  necessitate  wriggling 
myself  down  a  steep  incline,  head  first,  and  promised  to 
be  a  most  unpleasant  experience. 

Once  on  the  flat  I  lay  still  to  recover  my  wind,  and 
then  taking  advantage  of  every  tuft  and  stone,  began 
to  approach  my  quarrj'.  At  the  end  of  three-quarters 
of  an  hour's  hard  work,  counting  from  the  time  I  liad 
first  seen  them,  I  was  near  enough  to  get  a  shot,  and 
accordingly  I  took  a  cartridge  from  my  pocket  and 
slipped  it  into  tlie  breech  of  the  rifle.  As  I  did  so  my 
elbow  overturned  a  large  stone,  which  rolled  down  into 
the  ravine  ;    instantly  half  a  dozen  of  the  herd  lifted 


120  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

their  heads,  incliuling  my  old  friend  the  big  buck,  wlio 
on  nearer  approacli,  turned  out  to  be  a  really  magnificent 
animal. 

Knowing  that  if  their  suspicions  were  once  thoroughly 
aroused  they  would  not  stop  until  they  had  put  miles 
between  us,  I  sighted  for  five  hundred  yards  and  fired. 
The  buck  leaped  into  the  air  and  fell  on  his  knees.  I 
thought  I  had  got  him,  and  was  going  to  jump  up  and 
run  towards  him,  when  I  saw  that  I  was  counting  my 
chickens  before  they  were  hatched.  He  had  certainly 
fallen,  but  a  second  later  he  was  on  his  feet  again  and 
off  after  the  others.  I  was  certain,  however,  that  I  had 
wounded  him,  and  pretty  severely,  too. 

My  belief  proved  to  be  a  correct  one,  for  about  a 
hundred  yards  further  on  he  fell  again,  and  seeing  this 
I  j)icked  up  my  rifle  and  ran  after  him.  But  even  now 
he  was  not  done  for,  for  after  laying  still  a  moment  he 
rose  to  his  feet  again  and  hobbled  into  the  jungle  on  the 
other  side  of  the  plain,  at  the  same  spot  where  the  rest 
of  the  herd  had  disappeared,  I  followed  as  swaftly  as  I 
could,  and,  Avhen  I  had  gained  the  cover,  descried  him 
lying  upon  the  ground  near  the  edge  of  a  deep  but  dr}' 
water-course.  Needless  to  say  I  did  not  lose  very  much 
time  in  coming  up  with  him,  taking  the  precaution  to 
load  my  rifle  as  I  went.  When  I  did  I  was  able  to 
appreciate  the  majesty  of  my  kill. 

He  must  have  been  about  three  years  old,  and  when  I 
saw  that  he  was  not  quite  dead,  I  drew  my  hunting-knife 
and  knelt  down  beside  him  to  bestow  the  cou})  de  grace. 
This  done,  I  wiped  my  knife  on  the  grass,  and  was  pre- 
paring to  rise  again  when  I  felt  a  heavy  hand  laid  upon 
my  shoulder.     Knowing  that  there  was  not  a  soul  within 


AN  EXCITING  DAY.  121 

five  miles  of  me,  my  surprise  may  be*better  imagined 
than  described.  But  it  was  nothing  to  the  terror  that 
seized  me  wlien  I  looked  round  to  discover  who  my 
friend  really  was. 

Standing  behind  me,  and  seeming  to  fill  the  whole 
universe,  was  an  enormous  orang-outang — the  largest  I 
have  ever  seen  or  heard  of.  His  wicked  eyes  gleamed 
down  at  me,  his  teeth  protruded  ferociously  from 
beneath  his  bluey  gums,  while  his  great  hairy  arms, 
more  powerful  than  any  coal-heaver's,  were  opened  as  if 
to  embrace  me.  I  looked  once,  and  then — how  I  man- 
aged it  I  shall  never  be  able  to  tell — wriggled  myself 
out  of  his  clutches  like  an  eel,  and,  leaving  my  gun 
behind  me,  took  to  my  heels.  But  before  1  had  pro- 
ceeded ten  yards  the  great  beast  was  after  me,  rolling 
from  side  to  side  in  his  stride  like  a  drunken  sailor  on  a 
pavement.  So  close  was  he  behind  me  that  it  seemed  as 
if  I  could  almost  feel  his  breath  upon  the  short  hair  of 
my  poll.  One  thing  is  very  certain — I  ran  then  as  I 
bad  never  run  in  ray  life  before,  and  as  I  shall  probably 
never  run  again.  Hardly  conscious  where  I  was  going, 
knowing  only  that  I  must  get  out  of  his  reach,  I  fled 
across  the  open  space  with  the  intention  of  making  for 
the  plain  where  I  had  stalked  my  deer  ;  but  the  ape 
headed  me  off,  and  would  have  caught  me  had  I  not 
stopped  at  a  tree  and  dodged  quickly  round  it.  Then 
back  I  went  in  the  direction  I  had  just  come,  making 
this  time  for  the  opposite  jungle.  But  once  more  lie 
headed  me  off  and  drove  me  back  on  my  tracks.  My 
agony  was  intolerable,  my  breath  was  almost  spent,  and 
1  had  begun  to  give  myself  up  for  lost,  when  I  espied 
a  tree  on  the  further  side,  with  a  branch  close   to    th© 


122  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

ground.  Putting  forth  a  new  effort  I  made  for  tbis, 
dodged  round  it,  and,  once  on  the  other  side,  swung 
myself  into  it  witli,  I  flatter  myself,  as  much  dexterity 
as  the  most  accomplished  gymnast  could  have  shown. 
In  that  instant  I  seemed  to  live  my  whole  life  over  again. 
All  the  events  of  m}^  career,  even  those  connected  with 
my  earliest  childhood,  flashed  through  my  brain.  But 
the  activity  of  my  thoughts  did  not  detract  from  the 
quickness  of  my  legs,  and  I  mounted  the  tree  as  fast  as 
I  could  go.  No  sailor  could  have  climbed  a  mast  in 
better  stjde.  Then  down  I  crouched  amid  the  branches. 
Through  the  leaves  I  could  see  my  tormentor  standing 
looking  stupidly  about  him,  puzzled  to  know  what  had 
become  of  me.  Presently  a  trembling  of  the  leafy 
canopy  above  him  must  have  attracted  his  attention,  for 
he  clutched  the  lowest  bough  and  began  to  mount  the 
tree  in  search  of  me.  Seeing  this,  I  was  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  to  do.  To  climb  higher  would  only  be  to 
cut  off  all  chance  of  retreat,  and  would  inevitably  mean 
capture  or  a  leap  which  would,  in  all  human  probability^ 
break  my  neck.  In  the  space  of  a  second  I  reasoned  it 
all  out,  and  as  he  approached  on  one  side  I  descended 
on  the  other.  Seeing  this  he  descended  too,  and  with 
such  amazing  rapidity  that,  although  I  had  a  consider- 
able start,  we  both  landed  on  the  ground  at  the  same 
instant.  Then  the  old  game  of  catch-who-catch-can 
commenced.  First  I  dodged  this  way,  then  I  dodged 
that,  but  my  dexterity  was  as  useless  as  it  was  desperate. 
He  was  evidently  well  accustomed  to  the  sport,  and  I 
felt,  with  despair,  that  another  five  minutes  would  cer- 
tainly see  the  end  of  my  career  unless  something 
unexpected  intervened  to  prevent  it. 


AN  EXCITING  DAY.  123 

Having  tried  the  north,  soutli,  and  east  sides  of  the 
plain  I  now  went  for  the  west  ;  that  is  to  say,  towards 
the  dry  river  bed  I  have  already  mentioned.  By  the 
time  I  reached  it  I  was  completely  done  for,  and  the 
shock  of  discovering  at  least  a  sixty-foot  jump  on  to  the 
big  stones  at  the  bottom  did  not  give  me  any  additional 
strength.  To  jump  would  mean  almost  certain  mutila- 
tion, and  possibl}^  if  not  probably,  a  long  lingering 
death  ;  while  to  remain  where  I  was,  and  be  caught  by 
my  horrible  jDursuer,  who  had  now  hemmed  me  in  and 
had  got  me  at  his  mercy,  meant  certain  death.  There 
was  one  consolation,  however;  in  those  great  arms — 
death,  if  it  would  be  nothing  else,  would  be  swift.  I 
stood  on  the  very  edge  of  the  precipice,  revolving  these 
two  fates  in  my  mind,  and  every  moment  my  assailant 
was  coming  nearer.  There  was  no  hope  for  it  now,  so 
I  closed  my  eyes  and  waited.  As  I  did  so,  I  could  bear 
the  thud-thud  of  his  steps  drawing  closer.  I  almost  felt 
the  arms  entwine  me.  Then  a  voice  I  should  have 
recognized  in  the  roar  of  battle  or  in  the  silence  of  the 
grave  called  to  me  frantically,  "Spring  to  your  right  !  " 
As  if  by  instinct  I  sprang,  and,  at  the  very  second  that 
I  did  so,  I  heard  the  great  loathsome  beast  go  by  me. 
Even  at  that  moment,  when  life  and  death  trembled  in 
the  balance,  my  curiosity  got  the  upper  hand  and  I 
opened  my  eyes  and  looked. 

A  wonderful  sigiit  it  was  that  I  beheld.  On  the  edge 
of  the  ravine,  swa3'ing  to  and  fro  to  recover  his  balance, 
stood  the  orang-outang,  and  at  his  feet,  crouched  ready 
for  a  spring,  was  the  bulldog  Beelzebub,  his  teeth  bared^ 
and  his  whole  body  quivering  with  rage.  A  second 
later  he  leapt  into  the  air,  and  then  a  desperate  battle 
9 


124  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

ensued.  Tlie  terrified  monkey  fought  witli  all  the 
courage  he  possessed,  but  the  dog  had  got  him  firmly  by 
the  throat  and  was  holding  on  witli  all  the  dread  tenacity 
of  his  breed.  Added  to  tliis,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  tlie  orang-outang  Ijad  to  preserve  his  balance  on  the 
edge.  Without  thinking  of  mj"  own  j^eril  I  stood  and 
watched  the  fight. 

Then  I  heard  the  same  voice,  this  time  steady  as  of 
old,  order  the  dog  to  let  go.  With  his  usual  obedience 
he  did  as  he  was  commanded,  and  crawled  out  of  reach. 
The  great  mass  above  him  stood  for  a  moment  bewil- 
dered, blood  spurting  from  either  side  of  his  throat. 
Then  a  rifle  cracked,  and,  with  a  cry  like  a  soul  in  tor- 
ment, the  beast  fell  forward  on  to  the  ground,  shot 
through  the  heart. 

I  waited  for  a  moment,  and  then,  seeing  that  he  was 
dead,  looked  towards  the  spot  by  the  tree  Avhere,  a 
moment  before,  Alie  had  stood.  She  was  not  there. 
Then  a  bit  of  white  skirt  caught  my  eye  among  the 
bracken,  and,  running  across,  I  found  her  stretched  out 
upon  the  ground,  unconscious. 

To  fly  to  a  pool  close  by,  to  dip  my  cap  into  tlie 
water,  and  return  with  it  to  her  side  was  only  the 
work  of  an  instant.  In  three  or  four  minutes  I  had 
brought  her  back  to  consciousness,  and  she  was  able  to 
sit  up, 

"You  are  safe?"  she  gasped,  as  soon  as  she  could 
flpeak.  "  You  are  quite  sure  you  are  not  hurt  ?  I 
thought  that  dreadful  beast  had  caught  you." 

A  shudder  passed  over  her  as  she  spoke,  and  she  threw 
her  little  hands  up  and  covered  her  face  with  them,  I 
assured  her  as  cnipliatically  as  I  was  able  that,  so  far  as 


AN  EXCITING  DAY.  125 

I  knew,  I  was  without  even  as  much  as  a  scratch,  and 
then  we  went  across  the  little  plain  to  where  the  ugly 
brute  lay  dead. 

It  was  with  a  curious  feeling  that  I  stood  and  looked 
down  upon  that  great  mass  of  inanimate  flesh  and 
reflected  how  near  he  had  been  to  terminating  my  own 
existence.  From  a  contemplation  of  his  ugliness  I 
turned  to  the  dog,  who,  at  his  mistiness'  command,  had 
saved  my  life.  Two  ugly  red  gashes  seamed  his  sides, 
and  these  I  could  only  suppose  had  been  made  by  the 
talons  of  the  ape. 

"Old  man,"  I  said  to  him,  as  I  stooped  and  patted 
his  ugly  head,  "you  and  I  will  have  to  be  better  friends 
than  ever  after  this.  You  have  saved  my  life  to-day  and 
I  am  grateful  to  you."  Then  turning  to  his  mistress  I 
continued,  "  Alie,  how  on  earth  did  you  manage  to 
come  up  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  like  that  ?  " 

"  I  heard  your  first  shot,"  she  answered,  "  and  thought 
I  would  follow  you.  Thank  Heaven  I  did,  for  if  I  had 
been  five  minutes  longer  on  the  road  I  should  have  been 
too  late.  Xow  we  must  be  getting  back  to  the  camp 
as  fast  as  we  can  go.  Breakfast  will  be  readj',  I  expect, 
and  at  twelve  I  want  to  send  a  messenger  back  to  the 
settlement  with  letters." 

Accordingly  we  set  off  at  a  good  pace  on  our  return, 
reaching  the  huts  in  something  under  three-quarters  of 
an  hour. 

As  we  approached  the  plateau  we  saw-  a  man  on 
horseback  enter  it  from  the  jungle  on  the  other  side. 
He  pulled  up  before  the  dining-hut,  and  then  I  saw 
that  it  was  my  old  friend  Walworth,  covered  with  dust 
and  showing  all  the  signs  of  having  ridden  in  great 


126  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL. 

baste.  On  seeing  Alie  be  dismounted  and  removed 
bis  belmet,  waiting  respectfully  for  ber  to  speak. 

"  Have  you  bad  news,  Mr.  Walwortb,"  sbe  said, 
"  tbat  you  come  in  sucb  baste  ?  " 

*'  I  bave  a  letter  for  your  consideration  tbat  is  of  tbe 
utmost  importance,"  be  answered  ;  "  tbe  junk  arrived 
witb  it  tbis  morning." 

I  must  bere  explain  tbat  communications  from  tbe 
outside  world  were  conveyed  by  well-cbosen  messengers 
once  every  montb  to  a  certain  spot  in  tbe  group  of 
islands,  about  two  degrees  west  of  tbe  settlement. 
Tbence  tbey  were  brougbt  on  to  tbeir  destination  by  a 
swift-sailing  junk,  tbe  property  of  tbe  Beautiful  Wbite 
Devil,  wbicb  bad  already  conve3^ed  and  banded  over 
tbe  outward  mail  in  excbange.  Tbus  a  regular  service 
was  kept  up,  to  the  advantage  of  botb  parties. 

Taking  tbe  letter  from  Walwortb's  band  sbe  gave 
bim  an  invitation  to  breakfast,  and  tben  passed  Avitb  it 
into  ber  own  but.  I  took  bim  to  mine,  and  wben  the 
gong  sounded  for  tbe  meal  we  sougbt  tbe  dining  saloon 
together.  A  moment  later  Alie  joined  us,  and  I  gath- 
ered from  ber  face  tbat  there  was  sometbing  serious 
toward.  Until  the  meal  Avas  finished,  bowever,  sbe  said 
nothing.  Tben,  suggesting  tbat  we  should  bring  our 
cigars  outside,  so  as  to  be  away  from  any  possible 
eavesdroppers,  sbe  intimated  that  sbe  bad  something 
important  to  tell  us.  We  according!}'  rose  and  followed 
ber  into  tbe  open  air,  across  tbe  plateau  to  tbe  glade 
in  tbe  jungle  wbere  I  bad  told  ber  of  my  love  tbe 
previous  day.  Througbout  the  walk  she  did  not  speak, 
and  wben  sbe  turned  and  bade  us  be  seated,  ber  face 
was  as  hard   set  as  wben  sbe   bad  sentenced  Kwonor 


AN  EXCITING  DAY.  127 

Fung  to  death  in  her  verandah  more  tlian  two  months 
before. 

"  Gentlemen,"  she  said,  "  I  have  brought  you  out  here 
in  order  that  I  may  consult  you  on  a  most  important 
matter.  Dr.  De  Normanville,  before  I  begin  I  may 
say  that  I  liave  had  an  excellent  opportunity  of  study- 
ing your  character,  wliile  j'ou  have  had  an  equal  chance 
of  stud^nng  mine.  You  know  now  exactly  what  my 
life  is,  but  at  the  same  time  I  cannot  keep  from  myself 
a  remembrance  of  the  fact  that  you  are  only  here  as  a 
visitor ;  if  you  wish  therefore  to  withdraw  before  you 
hear  any  more  I  will  give  you  free  permission  to  do  so. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  you  will  give  me  your  advice,  I 
assure  j^ou  I  shall  be  most  grateful  for  it.  You,  Mr. 
"Walworth,  have  been  my  trusted  and  faithful  servant 
for  many  years  past,  and  I  could  not  have  a  better. 
Doctor,  I  await  your  decision." 

She  looked  fixedly  at  me,  and  I  began  to  see  the 
reason  of  her  speech. 

"I  beg  that  you  Avill  let  me  advise  you,"  I  answered 
promptly.  "  I  think  you  know  that  3^ou  can  place 
implicit  trust  in  me  ?  " 

"I  am  quite  sure  of  that,"  she  answered  solemnh'', 
and,  as  she  said  it,  she  took  from  her  pocket  the  letter 
she  had  that  morning  received. 

''Tliis  communication,"  she  began,  "  is  from  a  person 
in  Singapore,  whose  word  I  have  the  very  best  of  all 
possible  reasons  for  being  able  to  trust.  He  tells  me 
that  m}''  own  confidential  agent  in  that  place,  a  man  in 
whom  I  have  hitherto  placed  the  most  implicit  confi- 
dence, whom  I  have  saved  from  ruin,  and  worse,  who 
owes  his  very  life  to  m}''  generosity,  contemplates  selling 


128  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

me  to  the  Englisli  authorities.  My  correspondent,  who 
holds  a  high  position  in  the  Straits  Settlements,  informs 
me  that  this  dastardlj^  traitor  has  already  hinted  to  the 
authorities  that  it  is  in  his  power  to  disclose  my  long- 
sought  rendezvous.  lie  only  stipulates  that,  seeing  the 
nature  of  his  communication,  and  the  dangerous  position 
in  which  he  stands  regarding  me,  the  reward  offered 
shall  be  doubled.  The  authorities,  of  whom  my  infor- 
mant is  one,  have  asked  him  to  wait  until  the  arrival  of 
tlie  new  English  admiral,  who  is  expected  in  Singa- 
pore, en  route  for  Hong  Kong,  early  next  month.  As 
soon  as  he  arrives  this  man's  evidence  will  be  taken  and 
decisive  measures  adopted  to  rid  the  world  of  the  notori- 
ous White  Devil." 

"  The  traitor — the  scoundrel — he  shall  pay  for  this  !  " 
came  from  between  Walworth's  clenched  teeth.  I  said 
nothing.  But  perhaps  I  was  like  the  owl,  and  thought 
the  more.  At  any  rate  I  told  myself  under  my  breath 
that  it  would  be  an  exceedingly  bad  day  for  the  man  if 
he  ever  fell  into  my  hands,  and,  after  a  glance  at  Alie's 
face,  I  thought  it  would  be  a  worse  one  for  him  should 
he  fall  into  hers.     She  resumed  the  conversation. 

"There  is  one  point  I  may  count  in  my  favour,  how- 
ever," she  said  ;  "  and  that  is,  he  will  be  hardly  likely 
to  reveal  the  fact  that  for  the  last  five  years  he  lias 
acted  as  my  agent,  and  for  that  reason  it  Avill  be  only 
possible  for  him  to  give  his  evidence  on  hearsay." 

"He  must  be  prevented  from  giving  it  at  all,"  cried 
Walworth,  looking  swiftly  up  at  her. 

"  But  how  ?  "  she  answered. 

"A  warning  would  be  of  no  avail,  I  presume?"  I 
said. 


AN  EXCITING  DAY.  129 

"Noi  tliQ  least,"  she  answered;  "even  if  he  took 
it  I  should  always  be  in  danger  of  liim.  In  that  case  I 
should  have  to  discharge  him,  and  his  very  life  would 
be  a  continual  menace  to  me  !  " 

"  Is  he  a  married  man  ?  " 

"  No  ;  he  is  not." 

"Has  he  an  extensive  business?  I  mean  by  that, 
would  his  death  or  departure  be  the  means  of  bringing 
misery  upon  other  people  ?  " 

"  He  has  no  occupation  at  all,  save  what  I  have  given 
him.  No.  He  has  idled  away  his  life  on  the  bounty 
I  have  paid  him  for  keeping  me  informed  of  all  that 
goes  on." 

"And  now  he  is  going  to  kill  the  goose  that  lays  the 
goiden  eggs  ?  The  man  must  be  mad  to  contemplate 
such  an  act  of  folly." 

"  There  is  a  method  in  his  madness,  though,"  she  an- 
swered. "  He  evidently  believes  I  am  on  the  eve  of  being 
captured,  and  as  the  reward  is  a  large  one,  he  wishes  to 
secure  it  before  it  is  snapped  up  by  anybody  else." 

I  thought  for  a  little  while  and  then  spoke  again. 

"  You  say  he  is  unmarried  ;  in  that  case  he  has  no 
wife  or  children  to  consider.  He  has  no  business — then 
he  cannot  bring  ruin  upon  a  trusting  public.  I  should 
say  abduct  him  before  he  can  do  any  harm.  Surely  it 
could  be  managed  with  a  little  ingenuit}"  ?" 

Alie  was  silent  for  a  few  moments.  Then  she  looked 
up  and  her  face  brightened. 

"  I  believe  you  have  hit  on  the  very  idea,"  sbe  said. 
"  I  will  think  it  over,  -and,  if  possible,  it  shall  be  carried 
into  effect.  Yes,  I  will  abduct  him,  and  bring  him 
here.     But  we  must  remember  that  he  has  always  been 


130  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL. 

most  suspicious,  and  he  will  be  doubly  so  now.  For 
every  reason  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  go  into  Singa- 
pore and  abduct  him  in  my  own  proper  person,  so  I 
must  do  it  in  disguise." 

"No!"  I  answered  promptly;  "^^ou  must  not  run 
siicli  a  risk.     Supposing  be  should  recognise  j-ou?" 

"He  bas  never  seen  me  in  bis  life,"  she  replied; 
tlien,  smiling,  slie  continued,  "And  you  bave  evidently 
not  yet  grasped  my  talent  for  disguising  myself." 

"But  somebody  must  accompany  you,"  said  "Wal- 
wortl),  wbo  all  tins  time  bad  been  turning  mj^  scheme 
over  and  over  in  bis  mind  ;  "  and  the  worst  part  of  it 
is,  be  knows  me  so  well  tbat  I  dare  not  go." 

Long  before  tbis  I  liad  made  up  my  mind. 

"  I  tblnk,  since  you  bave  honoured  me  with  your  confi- 
dence," 1  said,  turning  to  Alie,  "  I  bave  a  rigbt  to  ask 
a  favour  at  your  hands," 

Sbe  looked  at  me  with  a  liitle  surprise. 

"  And  wliat  is  tbat  favour.  Dr.  De  Normanville  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"Tliat  in  whatever  3X)u  are  going  to  do  j'ou  will  let 
me  help  jon.  No  ;  I  am  not  making  tbis  offer  withoHt 
tliougbt,  I  assure  3'ou.  It  is  my  greatest  wish  to  be  of 
any  service  I  can  to  you." 

I  saw  Walworth  look  at  me  in  rather  a  peculiar 
fashion,  but  whatever  be  may  bave  thought  be  kejDt  to 
himself.  Alie  paused  before  replying,  tben  sbe  stretched 
out  her  little  hand  to  me. 

"  I  accept  3'our  offer  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  made," 
sbe  said.  "I  will  ask  you  to  help  me  to  get  this  traitor 
out  of  tbe  way.  Now  we  must  consider  the  modus 
opej'andi." 


AN  EXCITING  DAY.  131 

Many  and  various  were  tUe  scliemes  proposed,  dis- 
cussed, and  eventually  thrown  aside.  Indeed,  it  was 
not  until  nearl}^  midday  that  we  had  decided  on  one  to 
our  liking.  Once  this  was  settled,  however,  we  returned 
to  the  camp.  Orders  for  starting  were  immediately 
given,  and,  by  the  time  lunch  was  over,  the  packs  Avere 
made  up,  tiie  loads  distributed,  tlie  ponies  saddled,  and 
we  were  ready  to  start  upon  our  return  journe}'  to  the 
settlement. 

It  was  a  long  and  tedious  ride,  and  it  was  far  into  the 
night  before  we  arrived  at  our  destination.  But  late 
though  it  was,  no  one  thought  of  bed.  Too  much  im- 
portant business  had  to  be  transacted  before  daylight. 

On  arrival,  we  repaired  instantly  to  the  bungalow  on 
the  hill,  where  a  hasty  supper  was  eaten,  and  an  adjourn- 
ment made  from  the  dining-room  to  the  large  chart- 
room  at  the  rear  of  the  house.  In  this  apartment  were 
stored  the  latest  Admiralty  charts  of  all  the  seas  and 
harbours  in  the  world,  and  it  was  here,  as  I  gathered 
later,  tliat  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  concocted  the 
most  cunning  and  audacious  of  her  plans.  Arriving  in  it, 
she  bade  us  seat  ourselves  while  she  gave  us  the  details 
of  the  plan  she  had  prepared. 

"I  have  come  to  the  conclusion,"  she  said,  "that  your 
scheme  is  an  excellent  one,  Dr.  De  Normanville,  and  I 
have  arranged  it  all  as  follows  :  We  will  proceed  in  the 
yacht  to-morrow  morning  (I  have  already  sent  the  neces- 
sary instructions  down  to  the  harbour)  to  Java.  In 
Batavia  we  shall  meet  a  young  English  d'octor  named 
De  Normanville,  who  will  accompany  me  to  Singapore. 
I  shall  remain  with  a  companion  in  that  place  for  a  short 
time  while  I  do  the  sights,  stopping  at  the  Mandalaj 


132  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

Hotel,  where  the  man  resides  whom  we  want  to  catch. 
You  will  gradually  make  his  acquaintance,  and,  having 
done  so,  introduce  him  to  me.  All  the  rest  will  be  plain 
sailing.     Do  you  think  my  scheme  will  do  ?  " 

"  Admirably,  I  should  say." 

"It  will  be  necessary,  however.  Dr.  De  Normanville, 
that  you  should  remember  one  thing  :  you  must  not,  for 
your  own  sake,  be  seen  about  too  much  with  me.  You 
are  jiist  to  be  a  casual  acquaintance  whom  I  have 
picked  up  while  travelling  between  Singapore  and 
Batavia.  Do  you  understand  ?  After  your  great  kind- 
ness, I  cannot  allow  you  to  be  implicated  in  any  trouble 
that  may  arise  from  what  I  may  be  compelled  to  do." 

"Pray  do  not  fear  for  my  safety,"  I  answered.  "I 
am  content  to  chance  that.  In  for  a  penny,  in  for  a 
pound.  Believe  me,  I  am  throwing  my  lot  in  with  you 
with  my  eyes  open.  I  hope  you  understand  that  very 
thoroughly?" 

"  I  am  perfectly  sensible,  you  may  be  sure,  of  the 
debt  we  are  under  to  you,"  she  answered.  "Now  we 
must  get  to  business,  for  there  is  much  to  be  done  before 
daylight." 

Accordingly  we  set  to  work  perfecting  all  the  ins  and 
outs  of  our  plan,  and  when  it  was  completed,  and  my 
bags  were  packed  and  despatched  to  the  harbour,  the  stars 
were  paling  in  the  eastern  heavens  preparatory  to  dav.-n. 

Walworth  had  preceded  us  to  the  yacht  some  time 
before,  and  nothing  remained  now  but  for  me  to  follow 
with  Alie  and  the  bulldog. 

A  boat  was  waiting  for  us  at  the  same  jetty  on  which 
I  had  landed  on  my  arrival  nearly  three  months  before, 
and  in  it  we  were  rowed  out  to  the  Lo7ie  Star,  whose 


AN  EXCITING  DAY.  13S 

outline  we  could  just  discern.  It  was  an  uncanny  hour 
to  embark,  and  my  feelings  were  quite  in  keeping  with 
the  situation.  I  was  saying  good-bye  to  a  place  for 
which  I  had  developed  a  sincere  affection,  and  I  was 
going  out  into  the  world  again  to  do  a  deed  which 
migljt  end  in  cutting  me  off  from  my  profession,  my 
former  associates,  and  even  my  one  remaining  relation. 
These  thoughts  sat  heavily  upon  me  as  I  mounted  the 
ladder,  but  when,  on  reaching  the  deck,  Alie  turned  and 
took  my  hand  and  gave  me  a  welcome  back  to  the  yacht, 
they  were  dispelled  for  good  and  all. 

Side  by  side  we  went  aft.  Steam  Avas  up,  the  anchor 
was  off  the  ground,  and  five  minutes  later,  in  the  fast 
increasing  light,  we  were  moving  slowly  across  the 
harbour  towards  what  looked  to  me  like  impenetrable 
cliffs.  When  Ave  got  closer  to  them,  however,  I  saw 
that  one  projected  further  than  the  other,  and  that 
between  tlie  two  was  a  long  opening,  the  cliffs  on  either 
side  being  nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  This 
opening  Avas  just  Avide  enough  to  let  a  vessel  pass 
through  with  the  exercise  of  extreme  caution. 

At  the  further  end  of  this  precipitous  canal  the  Avidth 
Avas  barely  sufficient  to  let  our  vessel  out,  though  at 
that  particular  point  the  cliffs  on  either  side  Avere 
scarcely  more  than  eighty  feet  higli.  Here^  Iji^g  flat 
against  the  Avails  of  stone,  were  tAvo  enormous,  and  very 
curious,  gates,  the  use  of  Avhich  I  could  not  at  all 
determine. 

We  passed  through  and  out  into  the  sea.  By  the 
time  Ave  reached  open  Avater  daylight  had  increased  to 
such  an  extent  that,  when  Ave  Avere  a  mile  out,  objects 
ashore  could  be  quite  plainlj^  distinguished. 


134  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  Look  astern,"  said  Alie,  who  stood  by  my  side  upon 
the  bridge,  "  and  tell  me  if  you  can  discover  the 
entrance  to  the  harbour." 

I  did  so,  but  though  I  looked,  and  looked,  and  even 
brought  a  glass  to  bear  upon  the  cliffs,  I  could  see  no 
break  in  the  line  tlirough  which  a  vessel  of  any  size 
might  pass. 

"No  !  "  I  said  at  last,  "  I  must  confess  I  cannot  see  it." 

"Now  you  will  understand,"  she  said,  smiling  at  my 
bewilderment,  "  the  meaning  of  those  great  doors.  On 
the  seaward  side  they  are  painted  to  resemble  the  cliffs. 
Could  anyone  wish  for  a  better  disguise  ?  " 

I  agreed  that  no  one  could.  And,  indeed,  it  was  most 
wonderful.  A  man-of-war  might  have  patrolled  that 
seemingly  barren  coast  for  weeks  on  end  and  still  have 
been  unaware  of  tlie  harbour  that  lay  concealed  behind. 

"Now  you  will  want  to  rest,  I  know,"  she  said.  "I 
think  you  will  find  your  old  cabin  j^repared  for  you." 

«  And  you  ?  " 

"I  am  going  below  too.  Look,  the  coast  is  fast  dis- 
appearing from  our  sight.  There  it  goes  beneath  the 
horizon.     Now  will  j-ou  wish  our  enterprise  good  luck  ?  " 

"  Good  luck,"  I  said,  with  a  little  squeeze  of  her  hand, 

"Thank  you,  aiul  may  God  bless  you,"  she  answered 
softly,  and  immediately  vanished  down  the  companion- 
ladder. 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

« 

A   QUEER   SURPRISE. 

Within  a  v/eek  of  our  leaving  the  island  behind  us,  as 
narrated  in  the  previous  chapter,  we  had  brought  the 
Madura  coast  well  abeam,  and  were  dodging  along  it 
waiting  for  darkness  to  fall  in  order  to  get  into  Probolingo 
Harbour.  Here  it  was  arranged  I  should  leave  the  yacht 
and  travel  by  the  Nederlands-India  line  of  steamers  to 
Batavia.  A  vessel  of  this  line,  so  we  had  discovered,- 
called  at  Probolingo  about  the  end  of  each  month,  and  for 
this  reason  our  arrival  was  timed  for  the  afternoon  of  the 
day  of  her  departure. 

Shortly  before  three  o'clock  we  brought  up  at  the 
anchorage,  about  a  mile  from  the  shore.  It  was  a  lovely 
afternoon,  and  I  could  see  that  the  steamer,  which  was  to 
carry  me  on,  was  already  preparing  for  her  departure. 
The  boat  was  alongside,  my  traps  were  safely  stowed  in 
her,  and  nothing  remained  but  to  bid  Alie  good-bye.  As 
soon  as  this  was  accomplished  I  went  down  the  gang- 
way, took  my  seat  in  the  stern,  and  we  pushed  off.  Ten 
minutes  later  I  was  on  board  the  steamer  Van  Tronip, 
had  paid  my  passage-money,  secured  my  berth,  and 
was  waiting  to  see  what  the  next  item  of  the  programme 
would  be. 

135 


136  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

From  the  deck  of  the  Dutch  vessel,  as  she  swept  by  us 
under  full  sail,  her  course  set  for  Batavia,  the  Lojie 
Star  looked  as  pretty  a  craft  as  any  man  could  wish  to 
see.  I  noticed,  however,  that  during  the  three  months  she 
had  been  in  her  own  harbour  her  colour,  and  indeed  her 
whole  appearance,  had  been  entirely  changed.  When  first 
I  had  made  her  acquaintance  she  was  white  as  the  driven 
snow ;  now  she  was  a  peculiar  shade  of  red.  Her  bows 
•seemed  bluffer  than  when  I  had  seen  her  last,  indeed  from 
tiie  present  shape  and  construction  of  her  masts  and 
gear  it  would  have  been  extremely  difficult  to  tell  her 
for  the  same  vessel. 

At  six  o'clock,  and  in  the  eye  of  a  glorious  sunset,  we 
got  up  our  pressure  and  steamed  out  to  sea.  Of  that 
voyage  there  is  little  to  tell.  The  Van  Tramp  was  a 
ckimsy  old  tub  of  an  almost  obsolete  pattern,  and  by  the 
time  we  reached  Tanjong  Priok,  as  the  seaport  of  Batavia 
is  called,  I  had  had  about  enough  of  her. 

Once  there,  I  repacked  my  bag  and  stepped  on  to  the 
wharf,  resolved  to  take  the  first  train  to  the  city.  Arriving 
there  I  drove  direct  to  the  hotel  whose  name  Alie  had 
given  me  and  booked  my  room. 

Batavia  is  a  pi'etty  place,  and  at  the  time  of  our  visit 
was  looking  its  best.  So  far  I  had  seen  nothing  of  Alie, 
and  1  did  not  like  to  make  inquiries  concerning  her  lest 
by  so  doing  I  might  excite  suspicion.  To  while  away 
the  time  till  dinner  I  lit  a  cigar,  and  seating  myself  in 
the  long  verandah  that  surrounded  the  house,  read  my 
book,  keeping  a  watchful  e3'e  on  the  folk  about  me  all 
the  time. 

Shortly  before  five  o'clock,  I  noticed  that  the  Dutch 
ladies  in  my  neighbourhood  ordered  afternoon  tea,   and 


A  QUEEE  SUEPRISE.  137 

partook  of  it  in  the  verandah.  Not  to  be  outdone,  I 
followed  their  example.  But  just  as  I  was  about  to  pour 
myself  out  a  cup  an  interruption  occurred  which  presently 
assumed  annoying  proportions. 

The  table,  on  which  my  Malay  boy  had  placed  the  tray, 
stood  in  the  full  glare  of  the  afternoon  sun,  and  this  being 
hotter  than  I  liked,  I  bade  him  move  it  nearer  to  the  wall, 
and  to  facilitate  matters,  myself  took  up  the  tray  on  which 
my  cup  stood,  brimming  full.  Just  as  he  was  putting  the 
table  down,  however,  two  strange  ladies  turned  the  corner 
of  the  verandah  and  came  towards  us.  The  taller,  and 
younger  of  the  two,  was  a  fine  dark  woman,  with  a 
wealth  of  beautiful  brown  hair  rolled  tightly  behind  her 
head.  She  was  dressed  in  a  well-fitting  travelling  dress, 
wore,  what  !■  believe  is  called,  a  sailor  hat,  and  walked 
with  a  carriage  that  would  have  even  attracted  attention  in 
the  most  crowded  street  in  the  world.  Her  companion  was 
an  older  woman,  and,  if  one  might  judge  by  appearances, 
nearer  sixty  than  fifty,  with  a  fine,  aristocratic  face,  and  a 
considerable  quantity  of  grey  hair  heaped  in  little  corkscrew 
curls  all  over  her  head. 

When  they  came  level  with  where  I  stood,  I  stepped 
back  to  let  them  pass,  but  in  doing  so  came  into  collision 
with  the  younger  lady.  How  it  happened  I  cannot  say, 
but  the  result  was  in  every  way  disastrous ;  the  tray 
slipped,  and  would  have  fallen  had  I  not  caught  it  in  time, 
but  the  cup  of  tea  was  too  quick  for  me,  and  fell  to  the 
ground,  splashing  the  young  lady's  pretty  grey  dress 
beyond  hope  of  remedy  in  its  descent.  The  cup  and  saucer 
were  broken  into  a  hundred  pieces.  For  a  moment  the  fair 
sufferer  stood  silent,  hardly,  I  suppose,  knowing  what  to 
say ;  but  when  I  commenced  my  apologies  and  wanted  to 


138  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

run  to  my  room  for  a  cloth  with  which  to  wipe  her  dress, 
she  found  her  voice,  and  said  with  a  strong  American 
accent — 

"  You  must  do  nothing  of  the  kind.  It  was  all  my 
fault.     I  declare  I'm  downright  sorry." 

It  would  have  heen  one  of  the  prettiest  voices  I  had  ever 
heard  but  for  the  Yankee  twang  that  spoiled  it.  I  hastened 
to  assure  her  that  I  could  not  let  her  take  the  blame  upon 
herself,  and  once  more  begged  to  he  allowed  to  sponge  the 
tea  off  her  dress.  This,  however,  she  would  not  permit 
me  to  do. 

"  It  won't  hurt,"  she  assured  me  for  the  twentieth  time, 
"  and  if  it  did,  it's  an  old  dress,  so  don't  bother  yourself. 
But  now,  look  here,  you've  been  deprived  of  your  tea,  and 
that's  not  fair  at  all.  Say,  won't  you  come  right  along  to 
our  verandah  and  take  a  cup  with  us  ?  You're  English,  I 
know,  and  it's  real  nice  to  have  somebody  who  speaks  our 
own  tongue  to  talk  to.  Promise  '  Yes  '  right  away  and 
we'll  be  off." 

There  was  something  so  frank  about  her  that,  though  I 
didn't  at  all  want  to  go,  I  could  not  resist  her.  So  putting 
the  remnants  of  the  cup  and  saucer  back  upon  the  tray  I 
accepted  the  invitation  and  accompanied  them  round  the 
hotel  garden  to  their  own  verandah  on  the  other  side.  As 
I  went  I  kept  my  eyes  open  for  any  sign  of  Alie,  but 
though  I  thought  I  saw  her  once  I  presently  found  I  was 
mistaken.  I  could  not  help  wondering  what  she  would 
think  if  she  met  me  in  this  girl's  company.  However,  as 
I  had  let  myself  in  for  it  I  had  nobody  to  thank  but 
myself. 

When  we  reached  the  ladies'  quarters  we  found 
tea    prepared.      Before     we     sat     down,    however,     the 


A  QUEER  SURPRISE.  139 

younger    lady    said,     without    a    shadow   of    cmbarrc-ss- 
ment — 

"  I  reckon,  before  we  begin,  we'd  better  do  a  little  intro- 
ducing, don't  you  ?  This  lady  (she  pointed  to  her  com- 
panion) is  my  very  kind  friend  Mrs.  Beecher,  of  Boston, 
with  whom  I  am  travelling ;  you've  probably  heard  of 
Beecher's  patent  double-action  sofa  springs,  I  reckon  ?  I 
am  Kate  Sanderson,  of  New  York,  only  daughter  of  million- 
aire Sanderson,  of  Wall  Street,  whom  I  guess  you've  heard 
all  about  too.  So  you  see  we're  both  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  and  very  much  at  your  service." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  have  met  you,"  I  answered.  "  My 
name  is  De  Normanvillo,  and  I  hail  from  London." 

"Not    Dr.    De    Normanville,   of    Cavendish    Square, 
surely?  " 

"  Yes,  the  same.  Cavendish  Square  was  my  London 
address  two  years  ago.  But  how  do  you  come  to  know 
it?" 

"  Well,  now,  if  that  isn't  real  extraordinary  !    I  thought 
I   recognised  you   directly  I   set   eyes  on  you.     But  it's 
mighty  j)lain  you  don't  remember  me  !     That's  not  much 
of  a   compliment  any  way  you  look   at  it.     Is  it,  Mrs. 
Beecher  ?  " 

The  elder  declined  to  commit  herself,  so  Miss  Sanderson 
once  more  turned  to  me. 

"  Just  think  now.  Dr.  De  Normanville,"  she  said. 
"  Look  at  me  well,  and  try  to  remember  where  we  have 
met  before." 

I  looked  and  looked,  but  for  the  life  of  me  I  could  not 

recall  her  face,   and  yet   somehow  it   seemed   strangely 

familiar  to  me.     All  the  time  I  was  watching  her  she  sat 

gazing  at  me  with  an  amused  smile  upon  her  face,  and 

10 


140  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

when  she  saw  that  it  was  useless  my  cudgelling  my 
brains  any  more,  gave  another  little  silvery  laugh, 
and  said — 

"  Do  you  remember,  just  three  years  ago,  being  called  in 
to  the  Langham  Hotel  to  attend  a  young  American  lady 
who  had  a  fish-bone  stuck  in  her  throat  ?  " 

*'  I  remember  the  circumstance  perfectly,"  I  answered, 
but  that  young  lady  was  only  one  or  two  and  twenty." 

"You  think  then  I  look  older  than  that?  Well!  I 
reckon  you  are  really  not  very  complimentary.  But  you 
must  remember  that  that  was  three  years  ago,  and  I  was 
only  a  girl  then.  When  once  we  get  grown  up,  and  past  a 
certain  point,  over  on  our  side,  we  age  pretty  fast.  That's 
so,  I  reckon.  Well  now  you  know  me,  don't  you  ?  What 
a  day  that  was,  to  be  sure,  wasn't  it  ?  Lor !  hoAV  pap  and 
mammie  did  go  on  !  Anybody 'd  have  thought  I  was  going 
to  Kingdom  Come  right  away  to  have  heard  them.  D'you 
know,  I  reckon  I  must  have  got  the  marks  of  that  bone  in 
my  throat  to  this  day." 

"  It  was  a  very  nasty  scratch,  if  I  remember  rightly,"  1 
answered,  glad  to  have  at  last  discovered  who  this  talkative 
creature  was,  and  where  I  had  seen  her  face  before. 

"  Are  you  remainmg  very  long  in  Java,  Mrs.  Beecher  ?  " 
I  asked  the  elder  lady,  feeling  that  so  far  she  had  been 
rather  neglected. 

"  No,  I  think  not,"  she  answered  thoughtfully  ;  "  we  are 
trying  to  make  up  our  minds  whether  to  take  a  British 
India  steamer  home  from  here,  or  to  go  up  to  Singapore 
and  intercept  a  Peninsular  and  Oriental  there.  Miss  San- 
derson has  taken  a  great  fancy  to  the  East,  and  I  must 
confess  I  am  very  loth  to  leave  it." 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  I  said.    "  I  can  fully  sympathise 


A  QUEER  SURPRISE.  141 

with  your  feelings.  I  am  sadly  reluctant  to  go  back  to 
foggy  old  England  myself,  after  my  trip  out  here." 

"  And  do  you  intend  going  back  very  soon  ?  "  asked  Miss 
Sanderson,  who  had  been  smoothing  out  her  gloves  upon 
her  knee. 

"  Within  the  next  month  or  so,"  I  answered,  with  a 
sigh.  "  My  business  in  the  East  is  at  an  end,  and  I  have 
no  excuse  for  staying  longer." 

From  this  point  the  talk  drifted  on  to  general  topics,  and 
when  tea  was  finished  I  seized  the  first  opportunity  that 
presented  itself,  and,  making  an  excuse,  withdrew.  Just 
as  I  stepped  from  the  verandah,  one  of  the  small  nativa 
(hs-a-dos  carts  entered  the  grounds  and  drew  up  near  the 
end  of  my  corridor.  Two  ladies  descended  from  it,  and, 
having  paid  the  driver,  entered  their  rooms.  One  was  tall, 
and  the  other  rather  shorter.  At  last  I  felt  convinced  Alie 
had  arrived. 

As  they  disappeared  the  gong  warned  us  to  prepare  for 
dinner ;  but,  heedless  of  my  costume,  I  seated  myself 
ovitside  my  door  and  waited.  Though  I  remained  there 
for  some  time,  however,  they  did  not  emerge  again,  and  at 
last  I  was  compelled  to  go  in  and  make  myself  present- 
able without  having  seen  them. 

At  dinner,  which  was  served  in  the  palatial  marble 
dining  saloon  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  gardens,  I 
discovered  to  my  annoyance  that  my  place  was  laid  at  a 
long  table  at  the  further  end,  exactly  opposite  those 
occupied  by  the  American  ladies  with  whom  I  had  taken 
tea. 

From  where  I  sat  it  was  quite  impossible  for  me  to  see 
all  over  the  room,  and,  in  consequence,  I  could  not  tell 
whether  Alie  was  present  or  not.     As  soon,  however,  as 


142  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

the  meal  was  over  I  rose,  and,  before  walking  out,  looked 
about  me.  Some  of  the  residents  were  still  dining,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  middle  table,  farthest  from  me,  were,  with- 
out doubt,  the  two  ladies  whom  I  had  seen  arrive.  At  the 
distance  I  was  from  them  it  was  quite  impossible  to  tell 
who  they  were,  but  from  the  poise  of  her  head  and  the 
shape  of  her  beautiful  arms  and  shoulders,  I  felt  convinced 
that  the  taller  of  the  two  was  the  woman  I  loved,  and 
whom  I  had  all  the  afternoon  been  so  anxiously 
expecting. 

Seeing,  however,  that  it  was  just  possible  I  might  be 
mistaken,  and  remembering  the  instruction  Alie  had  given 
me  to  let  our  meeting  appear  accidental,  I  could  not  walk 
down  the  length  of  the  room  and  accost  her,  so  I  betook 
myself  into  the  marble  portico  and  waited  for  them  to 
come  out.  But,  as  it  happened,  Miss  Sanderson  and  her 
friend  were  the  first  to  emerge,  and  the  voluble  young 
American  took  me  by  storm  at  once.  From  what  she  told 
me  I  gathered  two  things,  first,  that  hitherto  she  had 
found  her  evenings  dull,  and,  second,  that  on  this 
particular  occasion  there  was  to  be  an  open-air  concert  on 
the  King's  Plain,  distant  about  a  mile  from  the  hotel. 
She  and  her  friend  had  intended  going,  if  they  could  find 
an  escort,  and  there  and  then  she  asked  me  if  I  would 
officiate  in  that  capacity.  I  did  not  know  what  to  say 
They  were  women,  and  I  could  not  be  rude  ;  and,  moreover 
as  they  had  evidently  set  their  hearts  upon  going,  and  I 
was  not  positively  certain  that  Alie  had  arrived,  I  felt  I 
had  no  right  to  decline  the  honour  of  escorting  them. 
Accordingly  I  assented,  and  went  across  the  garden  to  get 
my  hat.  Five  minutes  later  they  met  me  at  the  gates,  and 
we  strolled  down  the  road  together  towards  the  plain. 


A  QUEER  SURPRISE.  143 

Tbci'G  arc  few  prettier  places  in  the  world  than  Batavia, 
and  I  have  met  with  few  handsomer  girls  than  the 
distinguished-looking  American  by  my  side;  but  for  all 
that  I  was  not  contented  with  my  lot.  I  wanted  to  be 
back  in  the  verandah  at  the  hotel  watching  for  Alie. 

Leaving  a  handsome  street  behind  us  we  passed  on  to 
the  plain,  whore  a  large  crowd  of  people  were  promenading 
to  the  strains  of  a  military  band.  At  any  other  time  the 
music  would  have  been  inspiriting,  but,  in  the  humour  I 
was  in,  the  gayest  marches  sounded  like  funeral  dirges. 
For  over  an  hour  we  continued  to  promenade,  until  1  began 
really  to  think  that  I  should  have  to  ask  my  friends  to 
accompany  me  home  or  remain  where  they  were  without 
me.  But  at  last  the  concert  came  to  an  end,  and  we  once 
more  turned  our  faces  in  the  direction  of  our  hotel. 

"You  have  been  very  quiet  tliis  evening,"  said  Miss 
Sanderson  to  me  as  we  left  the  turf  and  stepped  on  to  the 
road  again. 

*'  I  hope  my  being  so  has  not  spoilt  your  enjoyment,"  1 
said,  trying  to  beg  the  question. 

"  Oh.  dear  no  I  "  Then,  as  if  something  had  suddenly 
struck  her,  "  Do  you  expect  to  see  anyone  in  Batavia  ?  I 
have  noticed  that  you  scan  every  lady  we  pass  as  if  yoa 
were  on  the  look-out  for  an  acquaintance." 

"  I  ditl  expect  to  see  someone,  I  must  confess,"  I  answered. 
"You  have  sharp  eyes.  Miss  Sanderson." 

"  They  have  been  trained  in  a  sharp  school,"  was  her 
brief  reply. 

By  this  time  we.  were  within  five  minutes  walk  of  home, 
and  in  the  act  of  crossing  one  of  the  numerous  bridges 
that,  in  Dutch  fashion,  grace  Batavia's  streets.  We 
paused  for  a  few  moments  and  leaned  over  the  parapet  to 


144  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

look  down  at  the  star-spangled  water  oozing  its  silent  way 
towards  the  sea.  It  was  all  very  quiet,  and  as  far  as  we 
could  see  we  had  the  street  to  ourselves.  Suddenly  Miss 
Sanderson  dropped  her  American  accent,  and  said  in  quite 
a  different  voice — 

"  Dr.  De  Normanville,  this  has  gone  far  enough.  Do 
you  know  me  now  ?  " 

It  icas  Alie ! 

To  say  that  I  was  taken  by  surprise  would  not  be  to 
express  my  condition  at  all.  I  was  simply  overwhelmed 
with  astonishment,  and  for  some  seconds  could  only  stand 
and  stare  at  her  in  complete  amazement.  Her  disguise 
was  so  perfect,  her  American  accent  was  so  real,  her  acting 
had  been  so  wonderfully  maintained,  that  I  never  for  an 
instant  suspected  the  trick  she  had  been  playing  upon  me. 

"You!  Alie,"  I  cried  when  at  last  I  found  my  voice. 
"  Is  it  possible  that  Miss  Sanderson  has  been  a  myth  all 
the  time?  " 

"Not  only  quite  possible,  but  a  fact,"  she  answered, 
with  a  laugh.  "Yes!  I  am  Alie,  and  no  more  Miss 
Sanderson,  of  New  Y'^ork,  than  you  are.  Do  me  the 
justice  to  remember  I  warned  you  I  was  good  at  dis- 
guising myself.  My  reason  for  not  revealing  my  identity 
to  you  before  was  that  I  wanted  thoroughly  to  test  the 
value  of  the  part  I  was  playing,  and  since  you,  who  know 
me  so  well,  did  not  recognise  me,  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
nobody  else  will." 

"It  is  simply  marvellous.  If  you  had  not  declared 
yourself  I  should  never  have  known  you.  And  your 
companion  is  therefore  not  Mrs.  Beecher,  whose  husband's 
patent  double-action  sofa  springs  are  so  justly  famous,  any 
more  than  vou  arc  Miss  Sanderson  ?  " 


A  QUEER  SURPRISE.  145 

"  No,  both  the  husband  and  the  sofa  springs  are  creations 
of  my  o-rni  imagination." 

"  But  the  incident  you  recalled  to  my  memory.  The 
bone  in  your  throat  that  I  extracted  at  the  Langham,  how 
do  you  account  for  that  ?  " 

"  Easily !  One  day  in  your  surgery  at  the  settlement 
you  casually  mentioned  having  extracted  a  fish  bone  from 
a  young  American  lady's  throat  at  that  hotel.  I  thought 
it  unUkely.  as  it  was  the  only  time  you  ever  saw  her,  that 
you  would  remember  her  name  or  face,  so  I  assumed  that 
character  in  order  to  try  the  effect  of  my  disguise  upon 
you." 

"  You  are  a  wonderful  actress;  you  would  make  your 
fortune  on  the  stage." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  "What  a  sensation  it  would  cause  in 
the  East.  Under  the  patronage  of  His  Excellency  the 
Governor  of  Hong  Kong,  the  Admiral  and  Commander-in- 
Chief,  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  as  Ophelia,  or  Desdemona 
shall  we  say;  why,  what  houses  I  should  draw.  But 
now  to  business.  As  we  may  not  have  another  opportunity, 
let  us  see  that  our  plans  coincide.  By  the  way,  the  French 
boat  leaves  to-morrow  afternoon  for  Singapore.  You  have 
booked  your  passage,  of  course  ?  " 
I  nodded  assent,  and  she  continued — 
"  You  must  board  her  alone.  We  shall  join  just  before 
she  sails.  "When  we  get  to  Singapore  we  must  drive 
separately  to  the  Mandalay  Hotel,  and  figure  there  in  the 
light  of  casual  travelling  acquaintances.  Before  you  have 
been  in  the  place  half  a  day  you  will  probably  have  been 
introduced  to  Mr.  Ebbington,  the  man  we  want.  He  will 
see  you  talking  to  me,  and  by  hook  or  crook  you  must 
introduce  him   to   me.     Whatever  you  do,    don't   forget, 


146  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

hov/ever,  that  my  name  is  Sanderson.  Having  done  this, 
leave  the  rest  to  me.  Do  you  think  you  'thoroughly 
understand?  " 

"  Thoroughly." 

"  That's  right.  Now  let  us  be  getting  home.  To-morrow 
we  must  be  early  astir." 

We  continued  our  walk,  and  in  five  minutes  had  bade 
each  other  good-night  in  the  hotel  gardens,  and 
separated. 

By  sundown  next  day  we  were  on  board  the  Messageries 
Maritimes  Company's  boat,  steaming  out  of  Tanjong  Priok 
Harbour,  bound  for  Singapore.  I  joined  the  steamer  some 
time  before  her  advertised  sailing  hour,  but  it  was  close 
upon  the  time  of  her  departure  when  Alio  and  her  com- 
panion made  their  appearance. 

In  my  capacity  of  casual  acquaintance  I  raised  my  hat 
to  them  as  they  came  up  the  gangway,  but  did  not  do 
more.  They  went  below,  while  I  stayed  on  deck,  watching 
the  business  of  getting  under  w^ay. 

Just  as  the  last  sign  of  the  coast  line  disappeared 
beneath  the  waves  someone  came  up  and  stood  beside  me. 
On  looking  round  I  discovered  that  it  was  Alie  ! 

"  So  you  managed  to  get  on  board  safely,"  she  said, 
after  the  usual  polite  preliminaries  had  been  gone  through. 
"  Our  enterprise  has  now  fairly  started,  and  if  we  have 
ordinary  luck  we  ought  to  be  able  to  carry  it  through 
successfully." 

"  Let  us  hope  we  shall  have  that  luck  then,"  I  ansAvered. 
"  But  I  confess  I  tremble  when  I  think  of  the  risk  you  are 
runniaig  in  appearing  in  a  place  like  Singapore,  where  you 
have  so  many  enemies." 

"Even  disguised  as    Miss    Sanderson,   the    American 


A  QUEER  SURPRISE.  147 

heiress  ?    No,  you  cannot  mean  it.     If  you  think   that, 
what  will  you  say  to  another  plot  I  am  hatching  ?  ' ' 

"Another?  Good  gracious  I  and  what  is  this  one  to 
be?" 

"  Listen,  and  you  shall  learn.  Three  years  ago,  in  a 
certain  island  of  the  South  Pacific,  there  was  a  man — an 
official  holding  a  high  office  under  Government — who 
very  nearly  got  into  serious  trouble.  The  charge  against 
him  was  that  by  his  orders  two  native  women  had  been 
flogged  to  death.  By  some  means  he  managed  to  dis- 
prove it  and  to  escape  punishment,  but  the  feeling  against 
him  was  so  bitter  that  it  was  thought  ad\dsable  to  transfer 
him  elsewhere.  You  would  have  imagined  that  that 
lesson  would  have  been  enough  for  him.  Not  a  bit.  On 
the  new  island  he  began  his  reign  of  tyranny  again,  and 
once  more  a  death  occurred  ;  this  time,  however,  the 
victim  wa3  a  man.  The  authorities  at  home  were 
immediately  appealed  to,  with  the  result  that  an  inquiry 
was  held  and  his  retention  on  that  island  was  also  con- 
sidered injudicious.  He  was  removed  from  his  high  estate. 
That  was  all ;  he  had  murdered,  I  repeat  it,  deliberately 
murdered  three  people  ;  in  fact,  flogged  the  lives  out  of 
two  women  and  one  man,  and  the  only  sentence  passed 
upon  him  was  that  he  should  be  transferred  elsewhere.  It 
makes  my  blood  boil  to  think  of  it." 

"  I  can  quite  understand  it." 

"  Yes.  That  was  all,  nothing  more  was  done.  The 
man  went  free.  The  poor  wretches  were  only  natives,  you 
must  understand.  And  who  cares  about  a  few  natives  ? 
No  one.  Yoa  may  think  I'm  exaggerating,  but  I  am  not. 
Now  it  so  happens  that  I  have  an  agent  living  on 
that  very  island  whom  I  can  perfectly  trust.     He  was  a 


148  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

witness  on  the  inquiry  commission,  he  saw  the  flogging 
in  question,  and  in  due  course  he  reported  the  facts  to  me. 
I  must  also  tell  you  that  that  man  boasted  publicly  that 
if  he  caught  me  he  would — but  there,  I  dare  not  tell  you 
what  he  said  he  would  do.  Now  his  friends  have  used 
their  influence  and  he  has  been  appointed  to  a  post  in 
one  of  the  treaty  ports  of  China.  I  hear  he  is  a  passenger 
on  the  mail  boat  touching 'at  Singapore  next  week." 

"  And  what  do  you  intend  to  do  ?  " 

"  It  is  my  intention,  if  possible,  to  catch  him,  to  punish 
him  as  he  deserves,  and,  by  so  doing,  to  teach  him  a  lesson 
he  will  remember  all  his  life." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

HOW   WE    SUCCEEDED   IN    OUR   ENTEEPEISE. 

On  arrival  at  Singapore  we  took  ricksLaAvs  and  drove 
direct  from  the  wliarf  to  tlie  Mandalay  Hotel,  a  palatial 
white  building-  of  two  stories,  boasting  vivid  green 
shutters  on  every  window,  and  broad  luxurious  veran- 
dahs on  every,  floor.  I  was  the  first  to  reach  it,  and, 
remembering  ray  position  of  casual  acquaintance,  I 
booked  a  room  for  myself,  leaving  Miss  Sanderson  and 
her  companion  to  follow  my  example  when  they  should 
arrive. 

It  was  then  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  by  the  time  we 
had  thoroughly  settled  in  night  had  fallen,  and  the 
preliminary  dressing  gong  had  sounded  for  dinner.  So 
far,  I  had  seen  nothing  of  the  person  of  whom  we  were 
in  search,  but  I  did  not  doubt  that  at  the  evening  meal 
I  should  become  acquainted  with  his  whereabouts,  even 
if  I  did  not  actually  meet  the  man  himself. 

The  dining-room  at  the  Mandalay  is  at  the  rear  of  the 
hotel,  and  looks  out  upon  a  charmingly  arranged  garden. 
Immediately  upon  my  entering  it  a  waiter  came  forward 
and  conducted  me  to  my  place  at  a  table  near  the  win- 
dow. On  my  left  was  seated  a  portl}^  red-faced  gentle- 
man, whom,  I  discovered  later,  was  an  English  merchant 
of  considerable  standing  in  the  place.  The  chair  on  my 
right  was  vacant,  but  before  w'e  had  dismissed  the  first 
course  it  was  taken  by  a  man  whom  my  instinct  told  me 

149 


150  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

\vas  none  other  tlian  Mr.  Ebbington  himself.  AVhy  1 
should  have  come  to  this  conclusion  I  cannot  explain, 
but  that  I  did  think  so,  and  that  I  was  right  in  so  think- 
ing, I  discovered  a  minute  or  two  later,  Avhon  a  ques- 
tion was  addressed  to  him  by  an  acquaintance  on  the 
other  side  of  the  table.  I  continued  the  course  without 
betraying  my  excitement,  and  when  my  plate  Avas  re- 
moved, sat  back  and  casually  took  stock  of  him. 

From  Alie's  account,  and  some  kind  of  preconceived 
notion  as  to  w4iat  sort  of  appearance  such  a  dastardly 
traitor  should  present,  I  had  expected  to  see  a  small, 
shifty-eyed,  villainous  type  of  man,  wearing  on  his  face 
some  token  of  his  guilt.  J3ut  in  place  of  that  I  discov- 
ered a  stout,  well  set-up,  not  unhandsome  man  of  about 
forty  years  of  age.  His  complexion  was  somewhat 
florid  ;  his  eyes  were  of  an  uncertain  hue,  between  gray 
and  steely  blue  ;  he  had  a  pronounced  nose,  and  a  heav}', 
almost  double,  chin.  Indeed,  had  it  not  been  for  his 
hesitating  mode  of  speech,  I  should  have  been  inclined  to 
put  him  down  for  a  militarj'^  man. 

During  the  progress  of  the  meal  I  found  an  ojipor- 
tunity  of  doing  him  some  small  service,  and  on  this 
meagre  introduction  we  fell  into  a  desultory  conversa- 
tion, which  embraced  Singapore,  the  latest  news  from 
England,  and  the  prospects  of  a  war  between  China  and 
Japan.  When  dinner  was  over  I  rose  and  followed  him 
into  the  verandah,  offered  him  a  cheroot,  which  he  ac- 
cepted, and  seated  myself  in  a  lounge  chair  beside  him. 
We  had  not  been  smoking  live  minutes  before  my  sweet- 
heart and  her  companion  passed  close  to  where  avc  sat, 
en  route  to  their  rooms.  As  she  came  opposite  to  me^ 
Alio  stopped. 


HOW  TVE  SUCCEEDED  IN  OUR  ENTERPRISE.      151 

"  Good-evening,  Dr.  De  Normanville  !  "  she  said  ; 
•''  isn't  this  betel  delightful  ?  " 

I  rose  and  uttered  an  ajipropriate  repl}',  at  the  same 
time  noticing  that  Ebbington  was  taking  thorough  stock 
of  her.  Then,  after  another  commonplace  or  two,  she 
bowed  and  passed  on  her  way.  I  resumed  ni}^  seat,  and 
for  nearly  a  minute  we  smoked  in  silence.  Then  my 
companion,  who  had  evidently  been  carefully  thinking 
his  speech  out,  said,  with  that  peculiarly  diffident  utter- 
ance which,  as  I  have  said,  was  habitual  to  him  : 

"  You'll  excuse  what  I  am  going  to  say,  I  hope,  but 
a  friend  and  I  were  having  a  little  discussion  before 
dinner.  The  proprietor  tells  me  Miss  Sanderson,  the 
American  heiress,  is  staying  in  the  house.  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  impertinent,  but  might  I  ask  if  the  lady  to 
whom  you  have  just  been  speaking  is  IMiss  Sanderson  ?" 

"  Yes,  she  is  Miss  Sanderson,"  I  replied.  "  Y"ou  do 
not  know  her,  then  ?  " 

"  Never  saw  her  before  in  my  life,"  was  his  reply. 
"  Pieces  of  good  fortune  like  that  don't  often  occur  in 
Singapore.  If  thej^  did,  few  of  us  would  be  here  very 
long,  I  can  assure  you.  But  perhaps  I  am  talking  in  too 
familiar  a  strain  about  your  friend  ?  If  so,  you  must 
forgive  me." 

"  Indeed  no  !  "  I  answered.  "  Don't  trouble  yourself 
on  that  score.  I  travelled  up  with  them  from  Batavia 
in  the  French  boat  that  arrived  this  afternoon.  From 
Avhat  little  I  have  seen  of  her  she  seems  very  pleasant, 
and,  as  you  may  have  observed,  is  evidently  inclined  to 
be  fl•iendl3^" 

"  There  is  no  doubt  about  the  money,  I  suppose  ?  "  he 
continued.     "Since  Vesey,  of  Hong  Kong,  was  so  com- 


152  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEYIL. 

pletely  taken  in  by  the  Beautiful  White  Devil,  we  have 
been  a  little  sceptical  on  the  subject  of  heiresses  clown 
this  way." 

"  On  that  point,  I'm  afraid  I  cannot  inform  yon,"  I 
said  laughingly.  "  She  seems,  however,  to  travel  in 
ver}"  good  style,  and  evidently  denies  herself  nothing. 
But  you  spoke  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil,  I  am 
most  interested  in  what  I  have  heard  of  that  personage. 
Are  you  well  up  in  the  subject  ?  " 

"  llow  should  I  be  ?  "  he  answered,  as  I  thought,  a 
little  quickly.  "  Of  course  I  know  Avhat  every  other 
man  in  the  East  knows,  but  no  more.  Thank  goodness 
she  has  never  done  me  tlie  honour  of  abducting  me  as  she 
did  the  Sultan  of  Surabaj'a  and  those  other  Johnnies. 
But  with  regard  to  Miss  Sanderson,!  wonder  if  I  should 
be  considered  impertinent  if  I  asked  jon  to  give  me  the 
pleasure  of  an  introduction," 

Of  course  I  did  not  tell  him  that  it  was  the  very  thing 
of  all  others  that  I  desired  to  do,  but  at  the  same  time 
I  could  hardly  conceal  my  exultation.  I  had,  however, 
to  keep  my  delight  to  myself  for  fear  lest  he  should 
suspect  ;  so  I  relit  my  cigar,  Mhich  had  gone  out,  and 
then  said,  with  as  much  carelessness  as  I  could  assume  : 

"  I  don't  know  altogether  whether  I'm  sufficiently 
intimate  with  her  to  take  the  liberty  of  introducing 
you  ;  but,  as  I  said  just  now,  she  seems  a  jolly  sort  of 
girl,  and  not  inclined  to  be  stand-offish,  so  if  ever  I  get 
an  opportunity  I  don't  mind  risking  it.  Now,  I  think, 
if  you'll  excuse  me,  I'll  say  good-night.  That  wretched 
old  bucket  of  a  steamer  rolled  so  all  the  way  up  from 
Tanjong  Priok  that  I  have  hardly  had  a  wink  of  sleep 
these  three  nights  past." 


HOW  WE  SUCtEEDED  IN  OUR  ENTERPRISE.      15a 

"  Good-night,  and  thank  you  very  niucli  for  your 
company.     Glad  to  have  met  you,  I'm  sure." 

I  reciprocated,  and,  having  done  so,  left  him  and 
went  to  my  room,  where  I  turned  into  bed  to  dream 
that  I  had  abducted  Alie,  and  could  never  remember  in 
what  part  of  the  world  I  had  hidden  her. 

Next  morning,  as  soon  as  breakfast  was  over,  I  went 
.down  into  tlie  town,  shopping.  When  I  returned  about 
eleven  o'clock  I  discovered  Alie  and  her  chaperone  sit- 
ting in  the  verandah,  waiting  for  a  double  rickshaw 
wliich  one  of  the  hotel  hojs  had  gone  out  to  procure. 
Ebbington  was  seated  in  a  chair  near  by,  and  evidently 
seemed  to  consider  this  a  good  opportunity  for  effecting 
the  introduction  he  had  proposed  the  night  before.  I 
entered  i-nto  conversation  with  him  for  a  few  moments, 
and  then,  crossing  the  verandah,  asked  the  ladies  in 
which  direction  they  contemplated  going. 

"Where  do  j-ou  think?"  said  Alie,  with  her  best 
New  York  accent.  "  Well,  first  I  guess  we're  going  to 
look  for  a  dry  goods  store,  and  then  I  reckon  we'll  just 
take  a  2K(sea)'  round  the  town." 

"  You  should  go  and  see  Whampoa's  Garden,"  I  said, 
hoping  she  would  understand  what  I  was  driving  at. 
"  They  tell  me  it's  one  of  the  sights  of  the  place." 

"  But  how  do  you  get  there  ?  "  asked  Alie,  her  quick 
perception  telling  her  my  object.  "  We  must  know  the 
way,  I  reckon,  before  we  start,  or  we'll  just  get  lost, 
and  then  you'll  have  to  call  out  all  the  town  to  find  us," 

"  One  moment  and  I'll  inquire." 

Ebbington,  having  overheard  what  had  passed  be- 
tween us,  as  I  intended  he  should  do,  had  risen,  and 
now  approached  us.     I  turned  to  him  and  said  : 


154  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEYIL. 

"My  friends  want  to  find  the  way  to  Wliampoa's 
Garden,  Mr.  Ebbington.  Could  you  direct  them  ?  But 
first,  perhaps,  I  ouglit  to  introduce  you.  ^Mr.  Ebbing- 
ton— Mrs.  Beecher — Miss  Sanderson." 

They  bowed  politely  to  each  other,  and  then  Ebbing- 
ton, having  begged  the  ladies'  permission,  gave  instruc- 
tions in  Malay  to  the  rickshaw  coolie,  who  by  this  time 
had  drawn  up  at  the  steps.  Tendering  their  thanks  to 
him  they  stepped  into  their  conveyance  and  were  drawn 
away. 

When  they  had  disappeared  round  the  corner,  Ebbing- 
ton crossed  the  verandah,  and  sitting  down  beside  lue 
favoured  me  with  his  opinions.  Even  in  this  short  space 
of  time  the  charm  of  the  heiress  seemed  to  have 
impressed  itself  upon  him.  Though  inwardly  writhing 
at  the  tone  he  adopted,  I  had  to  pretend  to  be  interested. 
It  was  a  difficult  matter,  however,  and  I  was  more 
relieved  than  I  can  say,  when  he  remembered  business 
elsewhere,  and  betook  himself  off  to  attend  to  it.  So 
far  all  had  gone  well.  The  bait  was  fixed,  and  it 
would  be  surprising  now  if  the  victim  did  not  walk 
into  the  trap  so  artfully  contrived  for  him. 

That  evening  after  dinner  I  fell  into  casual  conversa- 
tion with  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel,  and  it  was  not 
until  nearly  half  an  hour  later  that  I  managed  to 
escape  from  him  and  get  into  the  verandah.  When  I 
did,  to  my  surprise,  I  found  the  ladies  reclining  in  their 
chairs  listening  to  the  conversation  of  INIr.  Ebbing- 
ton. lie  was  regaling  them  with  a  highlj^-coloured 
account  of  his  experiences  in  the  East,  and  from  the 
attention  his  rcmaiks  were  receiving  it  was  evident 
he  was  doing  ample  justice  to  his  subject.     I  pulled  a 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED  IN  OUR  ENTERPRISE.      155 

cliair  up  beside  Alie  and  listened.  Within  five  minutes, 
however,  of  ray  arrival  he  introduced  Mr.  Vesey's  name, 
and  instantly  she  stopped  him  by  saying : 

"  Now,  where  liave  I  heard  that  name  before  ?  It 
seems,  somehow,  to  be  very  familiar  to  me." 

"  Perhaps  j'ou've  heard  the  story  of  his  abduction  by 
the  Beautiful  Wliite  Devil,"  said  Ebbington,  who  saw 
that  I  was  about  to  speak  and  was  anxious  to  forestall  me. 

"No,  I  guess  not,"  answered  Alie.  "I  reckon  I  was 
thinking  of  Klener  W.  Yesey,  of  AYall  Street,  who  ope- 
rates considerable  in  pork.  But  tell  me,  who  is  this 
Beautiful  "White  Devil  one  hears  so  much  about, 
anyway  ? " 

There  was  a  pause,  but  I  held  my  peace  and  let 
Ebbington's  tongue  run  riot  with  him, 

"  Ah  !  there  you  have  me  at  a  disadvantage,"  he  be- 
gan, pluming  himself  for  the  big  speech  I  could  see 
was  imminent.  "  Some  say  she's  a  European  lady  of 
title  gone  mad  on  Captain  Marryat  and  Clarke  Eussell. 
Others  aver  that  she's  not  a  woman  at  all,  but  a  man 
disguised  in  woman's  clothes.  But  the  real  truth,  I'm 
inclined  to  fancy,  is  that  she's  the  daughter  of  a  drunken 
old  desperado,  once  an  English  naval  man,  Avho  for 
years  made  himself  a  terror  in  these  seas." 

When  I  heard  him  thus  commit  himself,  I  looked 
across  at  Alie,  half  expecting  that  she  would  lose  con- 
trol of  herself  and  annihilate  him  upon  the  spot.  But 
save  a  little  twitching  round  the  corners  of  her  mouth, 
she  allowed  no  sign  of  the  wrath  that  I  knew  was  raging 
within  her  breast  to  escape  her.  In  a  voice  as  steady 
as  when  she  had  inquired  the  way  to  Whampoa's  Garden 
that  morning,  she  continued  her  questions. 
11 


156  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  I'm  really  quite  interested.  And  pray  Avhat  has 
tbis,  what  do  you  call  her,  Beautiful  White  Devil,  done 
to  carry  on  the  family  reputation  ?  " 

Again  Ebbington  saw  his  chance,  and,  like  the  born 
yarn-spinner  he  was,  took  immediate  advantage  of  it. 

"  What  has  she  not  done  would  be  the  best  thing  to 
ask.  She  has  abducted  the  Sultan  of  Surabaj-a,  the 
Rajah  of  Tavoy,  Vcsey  of  Hong  Kong,  and  half  a  dozen 
Chinese  mandarins  at  least.  She  has  robbed  the  Vectis 
Queen,  the  Ooloomoo — and  that  with  the  Governor  of 
Ilong  Kong  on  board  ;  stopped  the  OochiadaUa  only 
three  months  ago  in  the  Ly-ee-moon  Pass,  when  she 
went  through  the  bullion-room  to  the  extent  of  over 
a  million  and  a  half,  almost  under  the  cruisers' 
noses." 

"  But  what  mission  does  she  accomplish  with  this  vast 
wealth  when  she  has  accumulated  it,  do  you  think,  Mr, 
Ebbington  ?"  said  the  quiet  voice  of  Mrs.  Bcecher  from 
the  depths  of  her  chair.  "  Does  she  do  no  good  with  it 
at  all  ?  " 

'■'■  Good  ! "  that  Avretched  being  replied,  quite  uncon- 
scious of  the  trouble  he  was  heaping  up  for  himself. 
"  Wh}',  she  never  did  a  ha'porth  of  good  in  her  life.  No, 
I'll  tell  you  what  she  does  do  with  it.  It  is  well  known 
that  she  has  a  rendezvous  somewhere  in  the  Pacific,  a 
tropical  island,  they  saj^,  where  scenes  are  enacted 
between  her  cruises  that  would  raise  blushes  on  the 
cheeks  of  an  Egyptian  mummy." 

"  You  are  evidently  very  much  prejudiced  against 
her,"  I  answered  hotly.  "  Kow  I  have  heard  some 
very  different  stories.  And  vrith  all  due  respect  to  j'ou, 
Mr.  Ebbington " 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED  IX  OUR  ENTERPRISE.      157 

But  fortunately  at  this  juncture  my  presence  of  mind 
returned  to  me,  and,  a  servant  approaching  to  take  our 
empty  coffee  cups,  I  was  able  to  seize  the  opportunity 
and  bring  my  riotous  tongue  to  a  halt.  "When  the  boy 
had  gone,  Alie  turned  the  conversation  into  another 
channel,  and  after  that  all  was  plain  sailing  once  more. 
To  add  to  our  enjoyment,  about  ten  o'clock  another  ser- 
vant came  to  inform  Mr.  Ebbington  that  a  gentleman 
desired  to  see  him  in  the  smoking-room,  and  accordingh^, 
bidding  us  good-night,  he  went  off  to  interview  hira. 
Mrs.  Beecher  then  made  an  excuse  and  retired  to  her 
room,  leaving  us  alone  together. 

"  Alie,"  I  said  reproachfully,  "  if  anything  had  hap- 
pened just  now  you  would  have  had  only  yourself  to 
blame  for  it.  That  man's  insolent  lying  was  more  than 
I  could  stand.  In  another  moment,  if  that  servant  had 
not  come  in,  I  believe  I  should  have  lost  all  control  of 
myself,  and,  ten  chances  to  one,  have  ruined  everything. 
Why  did  you  do  it  ?  " 

"  Because  I  wanted  to  find  out  how  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  talking  about  me.     That  was  why." 

"  But  do  you  think  he  was  really  in  earnest  ?  May  it 
not  have  been  only  a  mask  to  prevent  anyone  from  sus- 
pecting that  he  is  your  agent  in  this  place  ?  " 

"No.  He  meant  it.  Of  that  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
The  man,  I  can  see,  for  some  inscmtable  reason  hates  the 
real  me  with  his  whole  heart  and  soul,  and  the  treachery 
he  is  preparing  now  is  to  be  his  revenge.  Couldn't  you 
hear  the  change,  the  grating,  in  his  voice  when  my 
name  occurred  ?  Ah,  Mr.  Ebbington,  my  clever  man^ 
you  vrill  Snd  that  it  is  a  very  foolish  policy  on  your 
part  to  quarrel  with  me." 


158  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEYIL. 

"When  do  you  mean  to  make  tlie  attempt  to  capture 
him  ?  " 

*'  On  Friday  evening  ;  that  is  the  day  after  to-morrow. 
Tlie  new  admiral  will  be  here  on  Saturday  morning  at 
latest,  and  I  must  anticipate  him,  for  I  have  learned  that 
Ebbington  received  a  note  from  the  authorities  this 
morning,  definitely  fixing  the  hour  for  the  interview  at 
eleven  o'clock.  He  need  make  no  arrangements,  how- 
aver,  for  he  won't  be  tliere  !  " 

"  It  will  be  an  awful  moment  for  him  when  he  realises 
who  you  are.  I  Avould  not  be  in  his  shoes  for  all  the 
gold  of  India." 

"  You  Avould  never  have  acted  as  he  has  done,"  she 
answered  softly,  turning  her  head  away. 

Tliis  was  the  o]iportunity  for  finding  out  what  she 
intended  concerning  mj'sclf,  so  I  drew  a  little  closer  to 
her. 

"  Aiie,"  I  said,  "  the  time  has  now  come  for  me  to  ask 
you  when  you  wish  to  say  *  good-bye'  to  me.  1  have 
done  my  professional  work  for  you,  and  on  Friday  I 
shall  have  assisted  you  to  the  very  best  of  my  ability  in 
the  matter  of  this  wretched  fellow.  AYhat  am  I  to  do 
then  ?    Am  I  to  say  farewell  to  you  here,  or  what  ?" 

Her  voice  had  almost  a  falter  in  it  as  she  replied  : 

"  Oh,  no  !  wo  Avill  not  say  *  good-bye '  here.  Cannot 
you  return  with  me  ?  I  have  been  counting  so  much  on 
that."  Here  she  paused  for  a  moment.  "  But  no  ! 
Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  ask  you — you  have  your  work  in 
life,  and,  seeing  Avhat  3'ou  have  alreadj'^  done  for  us,  I 
sliould  be  the  last  to  keep  you  from  the  path  of  duty." 

"  If  you  wish  me  to  come  back  -with  you,  Alie,"  I  an- 
SAvered  quickly,  "  I  will  come  with  a  glad  heart.     I  have 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED  IN  OUR  ENTERPRISE.       159 

no  dut3^  to  consider,  and  as  I  have  given  up  my  practice, 
I  have  no  patients  to  give  me  any  concern.  But  how 
shall  I  get  back  to  England  later  on  ?  " 

"  I  will  arrange  that  you  sliall  be  sent  down  to  Torres 
Straits,  and  you  can  go  home  via  Australia,  if  that  will 
suit  yon.  Never  fear,  I  wall  attend  to  that  part  of  it 
when  it  becomes  necessary." 

"Then  I  will  go  with  you." 

'^  I  thank  3'ou.     Good-night !  " 

I  bade  her  good-night,  and  she  left  me  to  go  to  her 
room.  As,  however,  I  was  in  no  humour  for  sleep- 
ing myself,  I  sta3'ed  in  the  verandah,  looking  down  the 
quaint  lamp-lit  street,  along  which  only  an  occasional 
belated  foot  passenger,  a  Sikh  policeman  or  two,  and  a 
few  tired  rickshaw  coolies  wended  their  way.  I  was 
thinking  of  the  sti'angeness  of  my  position.  When  I 
came  to  work  it  out,  and  to  review  the  w^hole  chain  of 
events  dispassionately,  it  seemed  almost  incredible.  I 
could  hardly  believe  that  George  De  Normanville  the 
staid  medical  man,  and  George  De  Normanville  the 
lover  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil,  and  assistant  in  a 
scheme  for  abducting  one  of  Singapore's  most  prominent 
citizens,  were  one  and  the  same  person.  However,  I 
was  thoroughly  content  ;  Alie  loved  me,  and  I  wanted 
nothing  more. 

Next  morning,  after  breakfast,  I  discovered  that  Miss 
Sanderson  and  her  companion  were  setting  off  for  a 
day's  pleasuring,  and  that  Mr,  Ebbington  was  to  be 
their  sole  conductor  and  escort.  It  was  noticeable  that 
he  had  donned  a  new  suit  of  clothes  in  honour  of  the 
occasion,  and  I  saw  that  he  wore  a  sjjrig  of  japonica 
in  his  buttonhole.     From  his  expression    I  concluded 


160  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

that  he  was  very  well  satisfied  with  himself ,  but  whether 
he  would  have  been  quite  so  confident  had  he  known 
who  his  fair  friends  really  were  was  quite  another 
matter,  and  one  upon  which  I  could  only  conjecture. 

They  returned  in  time  for  tifiin,  and  during  the  meal 
Ebbington  confided  to  me  the  fact  that  the  heiress  had 
been  most  gracious  to  him.  From  what  he  said  I 
gathered  that,  unless  somebody  else  interfered  and 
spoiled  sport,  he  felt  pretty  confident  of  ultimately 
securing  her. 

"  Take  care  your  friend  the  Beautiful  White  Devil, 
or  whatever  you  call  her,  doesn't  get  jealous,"  I  said 
with  a  laugh,  wishing  to  get  him  on  to  delicate  ground 
in  order  to  see  how  quickly  he  would  wriggle  off  it 
again, 

"  Don't  mention  them  in  the  same  brealli,  for  good- 
ness' sake,"  he  answered.  "Miss  Sanderson  and  that 
woman Why,  man  alive,  they're  not  to  be  com- 
pared I  " 

"  Ah  !  "  I  thought  to  myself,  "  if  you  only  knew,  my 
friend,  if  you  only  knew  !  " 

"Don't  you  wish  you  were  in  my  place?"  he  said 
with  a  smile,  as  he  rose  to  go. 

"Xo  ;  if  you  wish  me  19  be  candid,"  I  answered,  "  I 
cannot  say  that  I  do." 

He  thereupon  left  me  and  went  out  into  the  verandah. 
We  spent  the  afternoon  with  the  ladies  in  the  garden, 
and  at  their  request  remained  to  take  tea  with  them. 
During  this  al  fresco  meal,  which  Avas  presided  over  by 
i\Iiss  Sanderson  herself,  my  companion  stated  that  it  was 
his  desire  to  arrange  something  a  little  out  of  the  common 
for  the  ladies'  amusement. 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED  IN  OUR  ENTERPRISE.       161 

"  What  shall  it  be  ?  "  he  asked,  with  the  magnificence 
of  an  Oriental  potentate  to  whom  all  things  are  possible. 
"A  picnic?  But  that  is  not  much  fun  here.  A  dance? 
But  it's  too  hot  for  that.     What  would  j-ou  like  ?  " 

Alie  seemed  to  reflect  for  a  few  moments,  and  then 
she  said,  with  an  appearance  of  animation  : 

"  Do  you  really  want  to  give' us  a  treat,  Mr.  Ebbing- 
ton  ?  Then  I  reckon  the  nicest  thing  3-ou  can  possibly 
do,  on  these  hot  nights,  would  be  to  take  us  for  a  trip 
on  the  water.  I  know  Mrs.  Beecher  thinks  so  too. 
Now,  you  just  get  us  a  launch  and  trot  ns  round.  I 
guess  that  '11  be  real  delightful." 

She  clapped  her  hands  and  appeared  to  be  so  pleased 
with  the  idea  that,  whatever  he  may  himself  have 
thought  of  it,  there  was  nothing  for  Ebbington  to  do  but 
to  assent. 

"  We'll  take  some  supper,"  she  continued,  as  if  a  new 
idea  had  struck  her,  "and  you  gentlemen  shall  bring 
your  cigars,  and  we'll  spend  a  delightful  evening.  I'm 
fonder  of  the  sea  than  you  can  think.  But  I  do  just 
wish  you  could  see  New  York  Harbour.  You  should 
see  Newport,  too,  Avhero  my  papa's  got  a  cottage.  It's 
real  fine." 

After  dinner  that  evening  Ebbington  reported  that  he 
had  engaged  a  steam  launch,  and  also  that  he  had 
ordered  the  supper.  Thereupon,  to  encourage  him,  Miss 
Sanderson  professed  herself  to  be  looking  forward  to 
the  trip  more  than  she  had  ever  done  to  anything  else 
in  her  life. 

Accordingly  next  evening,  immediately  after  dinner, 
we  saw  that  our  charges  were  carefully  wrapped  up, 
chartered  rickshaws,  and  set  off  for  the  harbour.     It 


162  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

was  a  lovely  niglit,  with  a  young  moon  just  showing 
like  a  silver  sickle  above  the  roofs.  We  were  all  in  the 
highest  spirits,  altliough,  I  must  confess,  my  own  were 
not  unmixed  with  a  slight  clash  of  nervousness  as  to 
what  the  upshot  of  our  excursion  would  be. 

Arriving  at  the  harbour  side,  we  found  the  launch  in 
waiting.  She  was  a  smart,  serviceable  little  craft, 
manned  by  two  native  sailors  and  an  engineer.  We 
descended  the  Avharf  steps  in  single  file,  and,  as  I  was 
nearest  to  her,  I  stepped  on  board  and  gave  Alie  my 
hand  to  assist  her  to  embark.  She  squeezed  it  gentlj^, 
by  way  of  wishing  me  good  luck  of  our  enterprise, 
sprang  aboard,  and  when  we  had  taken  our  places  aft 
the  order  was  given  and  we  pushed  off. 

The  harbour  was  densely  crowded  with  craft  of  all 
nationalities  and  descriptions,  and  in  and  out  among 
them  we  threaded  our  way,  now  dodging  under  the 
bows  of  a  Messageries  Maritime  mail  boat,  now  under 
the  stern  of  a  P.  and  O.  steamer,  or  a  Norwegian  timber 
boat,  between  native  praus  and  dingy  ocean  ti'amps, 
steam  launches,  and  small  fry  generallj',  and  finally  out 
into  the  open  sea. 

Inside  the  water  was  as  smooth  as  a  mill  pond,  but 
when  we  left  the  shelter  of  the  high  land  and  passed 
outside,  the  complexion  of  affairs  was  somewhat  altered. 
But  as  our  party  were  all  good  sailors,  the  tumbling  and 
tossing  we  endured  hardly  mattered.  For  over  an  hour 
we  steamed  up  and  down,  and  then,  pausing  in  the 
shelter  of  the  harbour  again,  cast  about  us  for  a  suitable 
spot  to  have  our  supper. 

I  had  noticed  all  through  the  evening,  and,  for  the 
matter  of  that,  throughout  the  da^^  that  Ebbington's 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED  IN  OUR  ENTERPRISE.       163 

manner  towards  Alie  was  every  moment  growing  more 
unpleasantly  familiar.  By  the  time  he  had  completed 
his  first  bottle  of  champagne  at  sapper,  it  was  about  as 
much  as  I  could  stand  ;  indeed,  twice  he  called  her  by 
her  assumed  Christian  name,  and  once  he  tried  to  take 
her  hand.  Remembering,  however,  Avhat  would  follow 
later,  I  kept  a  tight  rein  upon  myself,  and  did  not  allow 
any  expression  of  my  feelings  to  escape  me. 

"  After  all,  give  me  American  girls,"  our  hero  Avas 
saying,  with  an  insolent  freedom  for  which  I  could  have 
kicked  him,  as  he  lit  his  cigar,  "  There's  none  of  that 
stand-offishness  about  them  that  there  is  Avith  our 
English  women.  You  can  say  more  to  them  Avithout 
their  being  offended  and  Avanting  to  call  their  fathers  in 
to  3"ou." 

"  You  mean,  perhaps,  that  we  are  more  good-natured," 
said  Alie.  "  I'm  afraid,  however,  Ave're  sometimes  un- 
Avise  enough  to  permit  people  to  become  familiar  on  a 
three  days'  acquaintance,  and  that's  a  very  foolish  thing." 

"  Oh,  come  now.  Miss  Sanderson,"  said  our  host, 
uncorking  another  bottle  of  champagne,  filling  up  Alie's 
glass,  and  then  helping  himself  liberally.  "  I  think 
that's  a  little  severe,  isn't  it?  One  thing  I  know, 
though,  you  don't  mean  it,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  so  certain  of  that,"  she  replied.  "  It's 
just  possible  that  I  may  be  compelled  to  do  so.  But  let 
us  talk  of  something  else.  What  a  lovely  night  it  is, 
isn't  it  ?  I  think  this  harbour's  just  delightful  by 
moonlight.  Say,  Mr.  Ebbington,  couldn't  we  come  on 
to-morrow  morning  for  a  while,  about  eleven  o'clock. 
Just  to  oblige  me,  don't  you  think  you  could  man- 
a2ce  it  ?  " 


164  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

Knowing  that  eleven  was  the  hour  at  Avliicli  he  was 
to  see  tlie  admiral,  I  waited  to  hear  what  answer  he 
would  make.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  he  was  a  little 
nonplussed,  for  he  expressed  his  sorrow  that,  through 
an  important  business  engagement,  he  would  be  quite 
unable  to  comply  with  her  request,  and  for  some  time  sat 
ill  sulk}''  silence.  Just  as  he  was  going  to  speak  again, 
liowever,  we  descried  a  boat  pulling  across  towards  us 
from  the  wharves  on  the  other  side.  As  it  approached 
the  shore  Alie  signed  to  rae,  and,  divining  her  intention, 
I  went  down  to  inquire  its  errand.  The  boat  having 
grounded,  a  native  waded  ashore,  and  handed  me  a  large 
packet  and  a  letter,  which  I  immediately  conveyed  to  Alie. 
She  took  it,  and  then  turning  to  Ebbington,  who  had  been 
surveying  the  scene  with  no  small  astonishment,  said  : 

"I'm  afraid,  Mr.  Ebbington,  this  means  some  busi- 
ness which  will  necessitate  our  going  back  to  the  hotel 
at  once.     Do  j'ou  mind  so  very  much  ?  " 

"Not  at  all,"  he  answered  promptly;  then,  as  if  he 
thought  he  might  turn  it  to  account,  continued,  "You 
know  that  my  only  ambition  is  to  serve  you." 

Disregarding  this  polite  speech,  which  was  uttered 
with  a  leer  that  made  my  fingers  itch  to  be  alongside 
his  head,  Alie  led  the  way  up  the  plank  and  on  board 
the  launch  again.  "VVe  pushed  off  from  the  shore  and 
began  to  steam  ahead.  Then  Alie  nodded  to  me,  and  I 
tapped  the  engineer  on  the  shoulder  and  signified  that 
he  should  stop.  He  looked  surprised,  but  obeyed. 
Ebbington,  however,  did  not  like  this  interference  on 
my  part,  and  sprang  to  liis  feet. 

"  Wh}^  did  you  tell  that  man  to  stop?"  he  cried, 
angrily.     "  I'll  trouble  you  to  remember  that  I'm " 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED  IN  OUR  ENTERPRISE.       i65 

"And  I'll  just  trouble  you  to  sit  down  where  you  are 
and  hold  your  tongue,  Mr.  Ebbington,"  said  Alie,  drop- 
ping her  American  accent  altogether,  and  drawing  a 
revolver  from  beneath  her  cloak.  "  The  game  is  over 
as  far  as  you  are  concerned,  so  you  may  as  well  submit 
with  as  good  a  grace  as  possible." 

"What  does  this  mean,  Miss  Sanderson?"  he  cried 
excitedly. 

"  Sit  down  there,  as  I  tell  you,"  she  answered,  "  and 
don't  make  any  noise,  or  you'll  get  into  trouble.  I  shall 
answer  no  questions,  but  if  you  attempt  to  move  I 
promise  you  I'll  shoot  you  there  and  then." 

He  said  no  more,  but  sat  between  us  trembling  like 
the  arrant  coward  he  was.  Alie  went  forward  to  the 
engineer  and  said  something  in  Malay  ;  then,  after  a 
moment's  conversation  with  one  of  the  crew,  she 
returned  aft,  took  the  tiller,  and  steered  for  the  open 
sea.  The  little  craft  fumed  and  fussed  on  her  way  for 
an  hour  or  so,  tossing  the  foam  off  either  bow,  and 
covering  the  distance  in  first-rate  style. 

Suddenly  the  look-out,  posted  fon-ard,  uttered  a  cry, 
and  next  moment  we  saw  ahead  of  us  a  green  light.  It 
was  obscured  and  revealed  three  times.  This,  I  knew, 
was  the  j'acht's  signal,  and  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  we  were  alongside,  had  hitched  on,  and  were 
safely  aboard.  The  launch's  crew  were  then  suitably 
rewarded  and  sent  back  to  Singapore. 

As  we  reached  the  deck  Ebbington  must  have  read 
the  yacht's  name  on  a  life-buoy,  and  realised  into 
whose  hands  he  had  fallen.  For  a  moment  he  stood 
rooted  to  the  spot,  then  he  staggered  a  pace  forward, 
clutched  at  a  stay,  and,  missing  it,  fell  upon  the  deck 


166  THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE  DEVIL. 

in  a  dead  faint.  As  I  stooped  to  see  what  was  the 
matter  with  hhii  I  felt  the  tremor  of  the  screw. 
Our  errand  was  accomplished.  Singapore  was  a  thing 
of  the  past.  We  were  on  our  way  back  to  the  island 
once  more. 


CHAPTER    X. 

KETRIBUTION, 

After  tlie  exciting  events  in  wLicli  I  had  been  a  par- 
ticipator that  evening,  it  may  not  be  a  matter  for  sur- 
prise that,  on  going  to  bed,  my  night  was  a  troubled 
one.  Hour  after  liour  I  tumbled  and  tossed  in  ray 
bank,  and  with  the  first  sign  of  day,  finding  sleep  still 
impossible,  dressed  and  went  on  deck.  It  was  as  lovely 
a  morning  as  any  man  could  wish  to  see,  M^ith  a  pale 
turquoise  sky  overhead,  across  which  clouds  of  fleecy 
whiteness  sped  with  extraordinary  rapidity.  A  fine 
breeze  hummed  in  the  shrouds,  and  the  peculiar  mo- 
tion of  the  schooner,  combined  with  one  glance  over  the 
side,  was  sufficient  to  convince  me  that  a  brisk  sea  was 
running.  I  walked  aft,  said  "  Good-morning  !  "  to  the 
officer  of  the  watch,  who  was  the  same  taciturn  indivi- 
dual, with  the  scar  upon  his  face,  I  have  described 
earlier  in  the  story,  and  then,  partly  from  curiosity  and 
partly  from  force  of  habit,  took  a  squint  at  the  compass 
card.  Qjiv  course  was  N.  N.  E.  exactl}'',  but  as  I  did 
not  knW  whether  or  not  this  was  a  bluff  of  some  kind, 
such  a  ^circumstance  told  me  but  little.  I  therefore 
leaned  against  the  taffrail,  looked  up  at  the  canvas,  bel- 
lying out  like  great  balloons  above  my  head,  and  re- 
signed myself  to  my  thoughts.  It  had  an  exhilarat- 
ing, yet  for  some  reason  bewildering,  effect  upon  me, 
that  stretch  of  canvas  standing  out  so  white  against  the 

1G7 


168  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

clear  blue  sky,  the  chasing  clouds,  the  bright  sunshine, 
the  dancing,  rolling  sea,  and  the  splashing  of  the  water 
alongside.  The  schooner  was  evidently  in  a  playful 
mood,  for  one  moment  she  would  be  aiming  her  jib- 
boom  at  the  sun  and  tlse  next  be  dipping  her  nose  down 
into  the  trough  and  sending  a  shower  of  spray  rattlino- 
on  the  fo'c's'le  like  hail.  Not  a  sail  was  in  sight, 
though  it  was  evident  from  the  presence  of  a  lookout  in 
the  fore-toj),  and  the  constant  scrutiny  of  the  south- 
western horizon  maintained  by  the  officer  of  the  watch, 
that  one  was  momentarily  expected. 

I  had  seen  nothing  of  Alie  since  I  had  said  good- 
night to  her  the  previous  evening,  nor  did  I  receive  an 
invitation  to  visit  her  until  breakfast  had  been  over 
some  time.     Then  Walworth  entered  my  cabin, 

"  Her  ladyship,"  he  said,  taking  a  seat  on  my  locker, 
"has  sent  me  to  say  that  she  would  be  glad  to  see  you 
aft,  if  you  could  spare  a  few  moments.  Before  you  go,  I 
want  to  explain  the  situation  to  you.  The  matter  on 
hand,  as  you  may  guess,  is  the  case  of  that  scoundrel 
Ebbington,  and,  as  he  will  be  present,  she  thinks  it  best 
that  a  little  precaution  should  be  observed," 

"  In  what  way  do  yon  mean  ?  "  I  answered.  "  Of 
course  I  am  ready  to  do  anything  she  may  wish,  but  I'd 
like  to  have  my  instructions  clearly  explained  to  me  first." 

"  Well,  I  have  been  commissioned  to  inform  j-ou  that 
she  thinks  it  would  be  better,  in  case  of  accident,  that 
Ebbington  should  suppose  she  has  abducted  j'ou  as  well 
as  himself.  That  is  to  say,  instead  of  being  her  guest 
on  board  the  schooner,  you  are  her  prisoner.  Do  you 
understand  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  !     She   is   afraid    lest   any   harm   should 


RETRIBUTION.  169 

occur  to  me,  when  I  leave  ber  yaclit,  by  reason  of  my 
association  with  her  !     It  is  like  her  tlioughtfulness." 

"  Sliall  we  go  ?  " 

I  signified  my  assent,  and  we  set  off. 

When  we  reached  Alie's  cabin,  we  found  her  reclin- 
ing on  a  couch  at  the  further  end,  the  bulldog,  as  usual, 
at  her  feet.  She  held  a  packet  of  papers  in  her  hand 
which,  previous  to  our  arrival,  it  was  evident  she  had 
been  perusing.  At  the  other  end,  near  the  companion- 
ladder,  but  on  the  starboard  side,  between  two  sailors, 
stood  the  prisoner,  Ebbington.  He  looked,  as  well  he 
might,  hopelessly  miserable.  He  opened  his  eyes  in 
astonishment  when  he  saw  me  enter.  I,  however, 
crossed  the  cabin  with  Walworth  and  stood  on  the  port 
side  without  letting  him  see  that  I  recognised  him. 
Then  solemn  silence  fell  upon  us  all  for  nearly  a  min- 
ute. While  it  lasted  Alie  sat  with  her  chin  on  her  hand 
staring  steadfastly  at  Ebbington.  Under  her  gaze,  he 
lowered  his  eyes,  and  when  I  noticed  that  his  fingers 
twined  convulsively  over  and  round  each  other,  I  could 
imagine  the  state  of  his  mind.  The  fellow  was  plainl}^ 
as  frightened  as  it  was  possible  for  him  to  be.  Then 
Alie  lifted  her  head  and  spoke  in  a  voice  as  soft  as  a 
kitten's  jDurr. 

"  Mr.  Ebbington,"  she  said,  "  do  jon  know  me  ?  " 

He  did  not  answer,  but  I  saw  the  first  finger  and 
thumb  of  his  right  hand  clutch  at  his  trouser  leg  and 
hold  it  tight.  That  action  Avas  more  significant  than 
any  words.     Again  she  spoke  : 

"  Mr.  Ebbington,"  she  said,  "  my  trusted  servant,  my 
faithful  friend,  my  honourable  agent,  I  ask  j'ou  again, 
do  you  know  me  ?  " 


170  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

Once  more  he  refused  to  answer. 

"  You  seem  undecided.  Well,  then,  let  me  trespass 
ujjon  3'our  time  and  tell  3'ou  a  little  story,  which  will, 
perhaps,  help  you  to  remember.  You  may  listen,  Dr. 
De  Normanville,  if  you  please.  You  must  know,  Mr. 
Ebbington,  that  once  upon  a  time  there  Avas  a  woman, 
who,  for  no  fault  of  her  own,  found  herself  at  enmity 
with  the  world,  Slie  had  necessarily  to  be  continually 
moving  from  place  to  place,  and  to  be  always  on  her 
guard  against  betrayal.  The  better,  therefore,  to  con- 
duct her  business,  she  engaged  a  man  to  reside  in  a 
certain  place  and  to  suppl3'^  her,  from  time  to  time,  with 
certain  important  information.  The  man  was  poor,  she 
made  him  rich  ;  he  had  nothing,  she  gave  him  every- 
thing ;  he  was  despised,  she  made  him  honoured  ;  he 
was  in  trouble^  she  saved  him,  not  once,  but  twice,  and 
made  him  happy.  You,  Mr.  Ebbington,  who  are  such 
an  honourable  man,  would  think  that  that  man  would 
have  been  grateful,  wouldn't  you  ?  Well,  he  pretended 
to  be,  and  perhaps  for  a  little  time  he  really  was.  But 
his  feelings  soon  underwent  a  change  towards  his  bene- 
factress. When  he  had  money  be  wanted  more  ;  he 
knew  his  employer's  secret,  and  at  last,  as  a  brilliant 
finale,  he  resolved  to  trade  upon  it.  Then  what  idea  do 
you  think  came  into  that  faithful  servant's  mind  ?  You 
will  never  guess.  Why  !  neither  more  nor  less  than  the 
betrayal  of  his  benefactress  to  her  enemies.  And  for 
what  reward,  think  you?  Millions?  A  million  ?  For 
half  a  million  ?  A  quarter  ?  No  !  no  !  For  the 
miserable  sum  of  five  thousand  pounds.  It  »seems 
incredible  that  a  man  could  be  so  foolish  and  so  base, 
doesn't  it  ?     But,  nevertheless,  it  is  true.     Perhaps  he 


RETRIBUTION.  171 

thought  the  woman,  having  escaped  so  often,  must  inevit- 
ably be  caught  before  long,  and,  being  a  business  man, 
he  remembered  the  old  adage  that  'a  bird  in  the  hand  is 
worth  two  in  the  bush.'  At  any  rate,  he  went  to  the 
authorities, — this  noble,  trustworthy,  grateful  man, — and 
like  Judas,  proffered  his  perfidy  for  a  price.  But  he 
was  bargaining  without  his  host — ox  hostess.  For  if  he 
could  be  so  clever,  tlie  woman  could  be  cleverer  still. 
She  was  warned  in  time,  and  thereupon  hatched  a 
counterplot  for  his  destruction.  How  Avell  that  plot 
lias  succeeded,  I  don't  think  I  need  tell  you,  Mr.  Ebbing- 
ton.  Dr.  De  Normanville,  I  am  exceedingl}'^  sorry  that 
j'ou  should  have  been  drawn  into  it  too.  But,  under 
the  circumstances,  you  will  see  that  it  was  quite  impos- 
sible for  me  to  leave  you  behind  to  give  evidence 
against  me.  You  need  have  no  fear,  however.  If  you 
will  pass  your  solemn  word  to  me  that  you  Avill  reveal 
nothing  concerning  me  or  my  actions  when  you  go  back 
to  civilisation,  I  Avill  trust  you  so  far  as  to  give  j-ou 
your  freedom  again,  and  on  the  first  possible  opportUTiity. 
Do  you  thiuk  you  can  let  me  have  that  promise  ?" 

I  saw  the  part  I  was  expected  to  play,  and  at  once  fell 
in  with  it.  Affecting  to  take  time  to  consider,  I  presently 
said  : 

"  What  can  I  do  ?  I  am  in  jour  hands  entirely,  and 
it  would  be  worse  than  useless  fur  me  to  resist.  I  will 
give  you  that  promise,  of  course." 

"  Very  good.     Then  I  will  let  j'ou  go." 

She  turned  from  me  to  Ebbington. 

"As  for  3'ou,  sir,  I  hardly  know  what  punishment  is 
severe  enough  for  you.  Even  death  seems  too  good  for 
such  a  contemptible  creature.  Let  me  tell  you  that  only 
I'' 


172  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

three  months  ago  I  hanged  a  man  for  murder — a  far 
less  serious  offence  in  my  eyes  than  yours.  Wh}^  should 
I  spare  you  ?  If  I  were  vindictively  disposed,  I  should 
recollect  how  you  spoke  of  me  the  other  evening.  Do 
^•ou  remember  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  know  to  whom  I  was  speaking,"  the 
wretched  man  answered  hoarsel3^ 

"  That  is  a  very  poor  excuse,"  Alie  replied,  with 
withering  scorn.  "  Think  of  the  baseness  of  what  you 
said  !  However,  it  shall  be  counted  as  an  extenuating 
circumstance  that  j'ou  did  not  know  me.     Now " 

But  whatever  she  was  about  to  say  was  stopped  by  a 
hail  from  the  deck.     On  hearing  it  Alie  immediately  rose. 

To  the  men  guarding  Ebbington  she  gave  an  order 
in  their  own  tongue,  and  they  at  once  removed  their 
prisoner.     Then  turning  to  'Walworth,  she  said  : 

"The  mail  boat  is  evidently  in  sight.  AVere  j'-our 
instructions  explicit  to  the  men  on  board  her  ?  Do  you 
think  they  thoroughly  understand  what  work  the}'  have 
to  do?" 

"  Thoroughly,"  he  answered,  "  I  schooled  them 
myself  !  There  will  be  no  bungling,  you  may  rest 
assured.  Matheson  is  in  command,  and  he  has  never 
failed  us  yet." 

"  In  Avhat  capacities  did  they  ship  ?  " 

"  Matheson  as  a  missionary  bound  for  Shanghai, 
Calderman  as  a  tourist  for  Nagasaki,  Burns  as  a  tea 
merchant  for  Fu-Chow,  Alderne}^  as  a  newspaper  cor- 
respondent to  the  East  generally,  Brahara  as  an  Ameri- 
can mill  owner  travelling  home  via  Yokohama  and  San 
Francisco,  Balder  as  an  Indian  civilian  on  furlough 
visiting  Japan." 


RETRIBUTION.  173 

"  Vev}^  good.     And  your  instructions  to  them  ?  " 

"  Will  be  rigidly  carried  out.  As  they  come  u})  with 
the  yacht,  after  seeing  our  signal  of  distress,  Matheson 
and  Balder  will  make  an  excuse  and  get  upon  the  bridge  ; 
once  there  they  Avill  cover  the  officer  of  the  watch  with 
their  revolvers,  and  do  the  same  for  the  skipper  if  he  is 
there,  or  directly  he  comes  on  deck.  They  will  then 
compel  him  to  heave  to.  Burns  by  this  time  will  have 
taken  his  station  at  the  first  saloon  companion  laddeV, 
Alderney  doing  the  same  at  the  second  ;  Caldermanwill 
be  at  the  engine-room  door,  and  Braham  at  the  fo'c's'le  ; 
then  we  shall  send  a  boat  and  take  off  our  man." 

"  That  will  do,  Mr.  Walworth.  You  have  arranged 
it  admirably,  and  I  am  sincerely  obliged  to  j-ou." 

A  flush  of  pleasure  rose  on  the  man's  usually  sallow 
cheek.  He  did  not  answer,  however,  only  bowed  and 
went  on  deck.     Then  Alie  turned  to  me. 

"Dr.  De  Normanville,"  she  said,  "I  have  not  yet 
thanked  you  for  your  help  in  this  last  adventure ;  with- 
out your  assistance  I  don't  know  whether  I  could  possi- 
bly have  brought  it  to  such  a  successful  issue." 

"You  must  not  thank  me,"  I  answered.  "Is  it  pos- 
sible that  you  can  imagine  I  would  have  let  that  scoun- 
drel  betray  you  ?    Alie,  j^ou  know   how  much   I 

But  there,  I  have  given  you  my  promise,  so  I  must  not 
say  what  I  want  to  do." 

She  took  my  hand  and  looked  into  my  face  with  a 
sweet  smile  that  was  very  different  to  the  one  she  had 
worn  when  she  talked  to  Ebbington. 

"  Not  yet,"  she  said  very  softly.  "  Some  day  you 
shall  say  it  as  often  as  you  please.  In  the  meantime 
we  must  get  to  business.     Will  j-ou  come  on  deck  and 


174  THE   BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

see  this  comedy  played  out,  or  would  j^ou  rather  remain 
do\A'n  here  ?  " 

"I  should  like  to  go  on  deck  with  you,"  I  answered, 
and  we  accordingly  went  np  the  conipanion  ladder 
together.  When  we  emerged  from  the  hatch,  Avhat  a 
change  was  there  !  I  looked,  and  could  hardly  believe 
my  eA-es.  Aloft,  where  only  an  hour  before  the  two 
well-stayed  masts  had  reared  their  graceful  heads,  now 
liiing  a  raffle  of  broken  timber  and  disordered  cordage. 
Forrafd  of  the  foremast  the  port  bulwark  was  com- 
pletely broken  down,  or  appeared  to  be,  while  over  the 
side  from  it  hung  another  display  of  broken  gear.  In 
spite  of  the  gay  awning  aft,  and  the  E.C.Y.B.  burgee 
at  the  gaff  end,  the  Lone  Star  presented  the  appearance 
of  a  complete  wreck.  But  the  meaning  of  it  all  was 
what  puzzled  me.  However,  I  had  not  very  long  to 
wait  before  I  received  eidightenmcnt. 

Alie  had  gone  aft,  and  was  now  leaning  against  the 
port  bulwark  watching,  with  a  glass,  the  movements  of 
a  large  steamer  fast  rising  on  the  horizon.  I  strolled 
up  just  in  time  to  hear  her  say  to  Walworth  and  the 
officer  of  the  watch,  who  M'cre  both  watching  it  : 

"  She  is  steering  directly  for  us.  Run  up  the  Eng- 
lish ensign  to  half-mast,  Mr.  Patterson,  and,  Avhen  you 
think  she's  near  enough,  throw  out  more  urgent  signals 
for  assistance." 

Iler  orders  Avere  carefully  obej'cd,  and  before  vcr}"^ 
long  the  vessel  was  near  enough  for  us  to  distinguish  her 
answering  ])ennant.  The  wind  had  completely  dropped 
by  this  time,  and  the  sea  was  as  smooth  as  glass. 

When  the  vessel  was  scarcely  more  than  two  miles 
distant,  Alie  turned  to  her  chief  officer,  and  said  : 


RETRIBUTION.  175 

"  I   think   sLe's   close   enough   now.     Tell   her   that 
we're  going  to  send  a  boat." 

While  she  was  spealcing  a  string  of  flags  had  broken 
out  upon  the  mail  boat, 

Walworth  read  them  through  the  glass  he  held  in 
his  hand. 

"  She  wants  to  know  our  name." 

"  Reply,  '  Yacht    Sagittarius,  owner  Lord  Melkard, 
from  Rangoon  to  Nagasaki.'     He  is  one  of  the  directors 
of  the  company,  and  that  will  induce  them  to  give  us* 
their  immediate    attention,   or  I  shall  be    very  much 
surprised." 

She  was  quite  right,  for  no  sooner  had  the  message 
been  deciphered  than  another  went  up. 

Again  Walworth  reported.     This  time  it  ran  : 

"  Send  your  boat." 

"  Despatch  the  boat,"  said  Alie. 

Instantly  Walworth  and  the  tall  man  with  the  scar  on 
his  face,  whose  name  I  have  said  was  Patterson,  went 
forrard,  and  within  three  minutes  Alie's  own  gig  was 
manned  and  overboard.  Walworth,  I  noticed,  was  in 
command  of  her,  so  1  took  up  the  glass  he  had  left  upon 
tlie  skylight,  and  brought  it  to  bear  upon  the  mail  boat, 
now  less  than  a  mile  distant.  She  presented  a  hand- 
some picture  as  slie  lay  there,  her  great  bulk  riding 
upon  the  smooth  water  as  securely  as  if  it  would  be 
possible  for  her  to  defy  the  elements,  whatever  storm 
miglit  rage. 

With  the  aid  of  the  strong  glass  I  was  using  I  could 
plainly  distinguish  her,  and  from  the  scarcity  of  passen- 
gers on  her  decks  it  was  evident  tliat  something  unusual 
was  occurring  on  board.     Presently  our  boat  got  along- 


176  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

side  and  the  gangway  was  lowered.  A  consultation 
seemed  to  be  going  on  upon  the  bridge,  and  after  a  few 
moments  a  man  was  seen  to  ascend  and  descend  the 
steps  kading  to  it.  Five  minutes  later  two  men  passed 
down  the  gangway,  and  once  more  our  boat  put  off 
to  us. 

When  she  had  overcome  about  half  the  distance  I 
chanced  to  look  forrard.  To  my  surprise  the  raffle, 
which  a  few  moments  before  had  been  disfiguring  the 
*side,  was  gone,  and  even  the  bulwark  itself  had 
recovered  its  proper  shape  and  comeliness.  Moreover, 
the  tarpaulin  which  had  hitherto  covered  tlie  centre  of 
the  deck  was  being  removed,  and  by  the  time  the  boat 
bad  completed  three  parts  of  the  distance  that  sejjarated 
us  from  the  steamer,  a  funnel  had  been  uncovered  and 
erected.     The  chief  officer  came  aft. 

"Is  everything  prepared,  Mr.  Patterson  ?  "  inquired 
Alie. 

"  Everything,  madam,"  replied  the  officer,  looking  at 
tlie  boat. 

"  Steam  up  ?  " 

"  It  has  been  for  the  last  five  minutes." 

"  Very  well  then,  pipe  all  hands  to  quarters,  and  stand 
by  to  receive  the  boat  when  she  comes  alongside," 

As  she  finished  speaking  the  officer  blew  a  whistle, 
and  immediately  the  crew,  who  had  hitherto  been 
ordered  to  remain  below,  apjjeared  on  deck  and  placed 
themselves  at  their  respective  posts.  Against  the  fore- 
mast I  noticed  a  curious  meclianical  contrivance,  the  use 
of  which  at  any  other  time  I  should  have  inquired. 
Now,  however,  there  was  a  look  upon  Alie's  face  that 
warned  me  not  to  be  too  inquisitive. 


RETRIBUTION.  177 

At  last  the  boat  came  alongside,  the  gangway  was 
lowered,  and  a  moment  later  Walworth,  accompanied 
by  a  big,  clumsily  built  man  with  a  heavy  sensual  face, 
small  ferretty  eyes,  a  curled  moustache,  and  dark  hair, 
appeared  up  the  side.  He  seemed  to  Avonder  what  was 
required  of  him,  and  it  Avas  evident  that  so  far  he  had 
no  idea  into  whose  hands  he  had  fallen.  I  glanced  at 
Alie,  as  he  appeared  on  deck,  to  discover  that  she  was 
regarding  liim  out  of  half-closed  eyes,  just  as  slie  had 
looked  at  Kwong  Fung  before  she  had  ordered  him  olf 
to  execution,  and  at  Ebbington  in  the  cabin  half  an 
hour  before. 

"  Will  you  let  me  say  that  I  am  more  than  pleased  to 
see  you,  Mr.  Barkmansworth  ?  "  she  said  in  her  silkiest 
tone  as  he  gained  the  deck.  "It  was  only  last  month 
I  heard  that  you  were  coming  to  China  to  take  up  your 
residence  among  us.  It  is  my  desire  to  offer  you  a  warm 
welcome  to  the  East,  hence  this  reception  in  mid-ocean. 
Mr.  Walworth,  will  you  be  good  enough  to  bring  Mr. 
Ebbington  to  me  ?" 

Walworth  went  below,  and  presently  returned  with 
the  prisoner. 

"Mr.  Ebbington,"  said  Alie,  as  the  man  she  addressed 
took  his  place  beside  tlie  newly  erected  funnel,  "  I  have 
sent  for  you  in  order  that  you  may  see  for  yourself  how 
I  show  my  appreciation  of  those  whom  the  world,  to 
my  thinking,  does  not  properly  reward.  Mr.  Bark- 
mansworth, in  case  you  may  not  know  in  whose  presence 
you  now  stand,  let  me  inform  you  that  I  am  the  woman 
you  have  so  often  expressed  a  desire  to  meet.  I  am  she 
whom  3^ou  boasted  in  Sydney,  a  year  ago,  you  would 
flog  when  she  fell  into  your  hands,  as  you  flogged  thoso 


178  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL. 

nnfortuiiate  South  Sea  Islanders.  In  other  words,  Mr. 
Barkmansworth,  I  am  the  Beautiful  White  Devil." 

Though  he  must  liave  realised  his  position  long  be- 
fore she  had  finished  speaking,  the  unfortunate  man 
now,  for  the  first  time,  showed  signs  of  fear.  Indeed, 
it  is  my  opinion  he  would  have  fallen  to  the  ground 
had  not  Walwortli  upheld  him  on  one  side,  the  cox- 
swain of  the  boat  Avhich  had  broufjht  him  doinfj  the 
same  upon  the  other,  Alie  continued  in  the  same  quiet 
voice  : 

"Tell  me,  3'ou  sir,  have  you  anything  to  say  why  I 
should  not  treat  you  as  you  deserve?  So  far  you  have 
craftily  managed  to  escaj^e  punishment  from  j^our  own 
authorities,  but  you  must  see  that  cunning  will  not 
avail  you  here.  If  you  have  anything  to  say,  say  it 
quickly,  for  I  cannot  keep  j'our  boat  waiting." 

The  wretched  man  took  a  step  forward,  and,  the 
eyes  of  all  on  board  being  upon  him,  tried  to  carry  the 
matter  off  with  a  high  hand. 

"  What  business  is  it  of  yours  what  I  do  ?  "  he  asked. 

"It  is  my  business,"  Alie  replied,  "because  you  have 
threatened  what  you  Avould  do  to  me  when  you  caught 
me,  and  also  because  no  one  else  will  see  justice  done  to 
you." 

"You  dare  not  punish  me,"  he  cried.  "You' shall 
not !  I  warn  jou  I  am  in  high  authority,  and  I'll 
exterminate  you  as  I  would  a  rat,  if  you  dare  to  lay  a 
hand  upon  me." 

"  So  you  try  to  bluster,  do  you  ?  "  said  Alie  quietly. 
"  Very  good.  In  that  case  I  need  have  no  scrujiles  at 
all  in  carr3Mng  out  my  plan.  You  flogged  those  poor 
women  in  Yakilavi,  and  that  man  at  Tuarani,  to  death. 


RETRIBUTION.  179 

I  will  be  more  merciful.  But  flogged  you  shall  be. 
Men,  do  your  duty  !  " 

The  words  were  haj'dly  out  of  her  mouth  before  four 
of  her  crew,  who  had  evidently  been  instructed  in  the 
parts  they  Avere  to  play,  sprang  forward,  seized  him  by 
his  arms  and  legs,  and  bore  him  swiftly  from  the  gang- 
Avay  to  the  object  whose  use  I  had  been  wondering. 
Once  there  his  feet  Avere  firmly  secured,  the  upper  part 
of  his  body  was  stripped  to  the  skin,  while,  at  a  signal, 
a  powerful  native  stepped  forward  from  the  crowd, 
carrying  a  cat-o'-nine-tails  in  his  hand, 

"  Lay  on  twelve  lashes,"  said  Alie  sternly. 

The  man  had  a  broad  white  back,  and  the  first  cut 
raised  its  mark,  the  second  put  another  alongside  it,  and 
by  the  time  the  twelve  strokes  had  been  administered 
the  blood  had  begun  to  flow.  After  the  first  cut  the 
wretched  culprit  no  longer  attempted  to  comport  him- 
self like  a  man  ;  he  struggled,  whined,  and  finally 
bellowed  outright.  When  the  number  was  completed, 
the  native  paused  and  looked  at  Alie.  Her  face  was 
turned  away,  but  it  was  as  hard  as  iron. 

"You  have  so  far  had  six  lashes  for  each  of  the 
women  you  killed,"  she  said  ;  "  now  you  will  have  six 
more  for  tlie  man  you  butchered,  and  six  more  on  top 
of  them  to  teach  j^ou  to  respect  myself  and  the  name  of 
Woman.     Go  on  !  " 

By  this  time  the  wretched  man's  pluck  was  entirely 
gone.  He  entreated  to  be  let  off,  offering  large  sums  of 
mone}^  to  be  faithfully  paid  directly  he  got  ashore,  if 
she  would  only  abate  one  lash.  He  might,  however,  as 
Avell  have  appealed  to  a  stone  :  the  second  twelve  were 
duly  administered,  and  he  was  then  cast  loose.     He  fell 


180  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

in  a  heap  on  the  deck,  and  for  some  time  refused  to 
budge  ;  but,  on  being  promised  an  additional  half-dozen 
if  he  did  not  do  as  he  was  ordered,  he  soon  found  his 
feet,  and  bolted  down  the  gangway  into  the  gig  along- 
side, which  immediately  set  oif  for  the  mail  steamer. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  boat  returned,  bringing  with 
her  the  men  whose  part  it  had  been  to  ensure  the  stop- 
page of  the  vessel  and  the  capture  of  tlie  passenger. 
Steam  was  up  by  this  time,  and  within  five  minutes  of 
raising  the  boat  to  the  davits  we  were  under  weigh.  In 
an  hour  we  had  lost  sight  of  the  mail  boat,  and  were 
making  as  straight  a  course  as  possible  back  to  the 
settlement. 

That  evening  I  received  an  invitation  from  Alie  to 
dine  Avith  her  in  her  cabin,  and,  as  may  be  supposed,  I 
accepted  it.  But  as  the  lady  whom  I  had  only  known 
as  Mrs.  Beecher,  and  who  had  been  confined  to  her  cabin 
by  ill-health  ever  since  our  leaving  Singapore,  was 
present,  we  only  conversed  on  general  topics  during  the 
progress  of  the  meal.  When,  however,  we  sought  the 
deck  afterwards  alone,  and  came  to  our  favourite  spot  at 
the  taffrail,  Alie  said  : 

"  Up  to  the  present  you  have  seen  a  good  many  sides 
of  my  cliaracter,  have  j^ou  not?  I  hope,  among  them, 
they  will  not  make  you  think  too  badly  of  me." 

"  Make  me  think  badly  of  you,  Alie  ? "  I  cried. 
"  That  would  be  impossible.  What  have  I  seen  ?  Let 
me  think.  First,  I  have  seen  you  collecting  about  you 
and  befriending  many  of  the  world's  unfortunates  ; 
second,  I  have  seen  you  toiling  day  and  night,  without 
thought  of  yourself,  for  the  welfare  of  the  lives  j'ou 
loved  ;  and,  last,  I  have  seen  you  always  just  and  for- 


RETRIBUTION.  181 

bearing,  a  good  ruler  and  a  firm  friend.  Is  there  any- 
thing in  any  of  tliose  circumstances  to  make  me  think 
badly  of  you  ?     No,  no  !  " 

"  You  are  too  generous  to  me,  I  fear.  However,  to- 
da}^  you  have  seen  me  in  the  character  of  Retribution  ; 
you  have  seen  that  I  can  bite  as  well  as  bark.  I  should 
be  sorry  if  I  lost  3'our  good  esteem.  Now,  with  regard 
to  Mr.  Ebbington,  I  want  to  consult  with  you  as  to  the 
course  I  should  pursue  with  him." 

"  I  hardly  know,"  I  answered.  "  I  have  been  think- 
ing it  over  this  afternoon.  The  man  is  already  nearly 
mad  witli  fear ;  that  flogging  this  morning  was  an 
awful  lesson  to  him." 

"  I  hope  it  w'as  ;  but  cannot  you  see  the  position  I  am 
placed  in  ?  After  all  that  has  passed  between  us,  I  can- 
not let  him  go  out  into  the  Avorld  again,  and  yet  I  do 
not  want  to  keep  him  a  perpetual  prisoner  at  the  settle- 
ment. A  man  of  that  kind  might  do  serious  mischief 
even  there." 

I  did  not  know  what  to  advise,  so  sa3'ing  I  would 
think  about  it,  we  dismissed  the  subject  for  the  present. 
Alie  was  looking  across  the  sea  astern. 

"  We're  in  for  a  spell  of  bad  w^eather,  I  fear,"  she  saitl. 
"  Do  you  see  that  bank  of  cloud  away  to  tlie  northeast  ? 
1  hope  it  won't  delay  our  getting  back  to  the  settlement. 
I  have  been  watching  it  coming  up,  and  I  don't  like  the 
look  of  it  at  all." 

We  walked  along  together  to  the  bridge,  where  she 
gave  the  officer  of  the  watch  some  instructions.  This 
done  she  turned  to  me  and  held  out  her  hand. 

"  Good-night !  "  she  said  ;  "  I  am  going  below  now  to 
try  and  get  some  sleep  in  case  we  are  to  have  trouble 


182  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

later.  I  have  left  orders  tbat  I  am  to  be  called  if  any- 
thing unusual  transpires." 

"  Good-niglit !  "  I  answered,  when  I  Lad  walked  to 
the  companion-ladder  with  lier. 

As  soon  as  she  had  left  me  I  lit  another  cigar,  and, 
seating  myself  on  the  rail,  fell  to  smoking  and  dreaming 
of  the  future.  Every  hour  was  bringing  the  time  closer 
for  me  to  bid  the  woman  I  loved  good-bj^e,  and  to  go 
back  to  England.  After  that,  for  a  year,  I  told  myself, 
I  would  work  hard  at  my  profession,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  time  stipulated,  she  would  arrive  to  be  my  wife. 
What  my  life  was  to  be  after  that  I  could  not  of  course 
determine,  but  however  it  should  turn  out,  I  would  be 
prepared  for  it,  and  with  Alie  for  my  wife  how  could  I 
fail  to  be  happy  ?  As  soon  as  my  cigar  was  finished,  I 
tossed  the  stump  overboard  and  retired  to  my  cabin. 

On  entering  it  I  thought  I  heard  a  noise,  and  as  it 
turned  out  I  was  not  mistaken.  To  my  surprise  the 
occupant  was  none  otlier  tlian  the  prisoner,  Ebbington. 
lie  seemed  a  trifle  disconcerted  at  my  catching  him,  and 
began  to  apologise  profusely  for  his  presence  there. 

"I  came  in  liere  to  consult  you  professionally,  Dr. 
De  Normanville,"  he  managed  to  get  out  at  last.  "  But 
you  were  not  in,  so  I  thouglit  I'd  wait.  Can  you  do 
anything  for  me  ?     I  am  not  at  all  well  ?  " 

"  Sit  down,"  I  said,  pointing  to  the  locker,  "  and  tell 
me  how  3'ou  feel." 

There  was  something  in  the  poor  wretch's  face  that, 
much  as  I  detested  him,  touched  a  chord  of  pity  in  my 
heart.  Thus  encouraged,  he  delivered  himself  of  his 
s3'mptoms,  and  asked  to  be  treated.  Long  before  he 
had  finished  his  tale,  however,  I  had   convinced  myself 


RETRIBUTION.  183 

that  there  was  nothing,  save  fright,  the  matter  with 
him.     But  I  heard  him  out,  and^tlien  said  : 

"  Now  own  up,  Ebbington.  What  was  tlie  real  reason 
of  this  visit?  For  j-ou  know  ver}'^  well  you're  no  more 
ill  than  I  am." 

He  stared  for  a  moment,  and  then. seeing  it  would  be 
useless  arguing  with  me,  said  : 

"  No,  I'm  not  ill,  hut  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question. 
What  does  this  woman  intend  doing  with  me?  It's  all 
very  well  for  her  to  pretend  she  abducted  you  ;  I  know 
better.  You  were  in  her  confidence  at  Singapore  and 
you're  in  it  now.  For  Heaven's  sake  don't  play  with 
me — tell  me  the  truth.  Is  she  going  to  flog  me  as  she 
flogged  that  poor  devil  this  morning,  or  is  she  going 
to  hang  mo,  as  I  hear  she  did  Kwong  Fung  the 
pirate  ?  " 

"  I  know  no  more  ahout  what  she  intends  doing  with 
you  than  you  do,"  I  answered  ;  "  and  if  I  did,  I'm  cer- 
tain I  shouldn't  tell  you.  Look  here,  Mr,  Ebbington,  I 
don't  want  to  hit  a  man  when  he's  down,  hut  I  must  own, 
I  think,  whatever  3'ou  do  get  won't  be  too  much  for  3'ou. 
You  would  have  hetraj'ed  her,  if  you  could  have  managed 
it,  without  a  second  thought.  Now,  if  I  had  been  in 
her  place — well,  I  don't  somehow  think  I  should  have 
been  as  merciful  as  she  has  been." 

His  face  instantly  became  black  with  fur3^ 

"Wouldn't  you!  wouldn't  you?"  he  hissed;  "spy, 
traitor,  coward  !  wouldn't  you  ?  A  fig  for  you  and 
your  thoughts." 

I  laughed  ;  thereupon  he  walked  up  to  me,  and,  with 
his  features  convulsed  with  rage,  deliberately  spat  in  my 
face.     I  knocked  him  down,  and,  having  done  so,  picked 


184  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

liini  up  and  tlirew  Lim  outside  into  the  saloon.  I  then 
locked  my  cabin  door  and  went  to  bed. 

I  don't  suppose,  however,  I  had  been  asleep  more  than 
an  hour  before  I  was  awakened  by  a  loud  hammering 
at  my  door.  Thinking  that  the  ship  must  be  in  danger, 
I  sprang  from  my  bunk  and  unlocked  it  as  quickly  as 
possible.  On  looking  out  I  discovered  Walworth  and 
the  officers'  steward  standing  before  me. 

"What  on  earth  is  the  matter?"  I  asked,  I'm  afraid 
a  trifle  irritabl3%  "  What  on  earth  are  you  making  all 
this  row  about  ?  " 

"  Something's  very  much  the  matter,"  Walworth 
answered,  taking  my  arm  and  drawing  me  along  the 
saloon.     "  Ebbington's  taken  poison." 

"  The  deuce  he  has  !  "  I  cried.  "  Let  me  see  him  at 
once." 

I  was  thereupon  conducted  to  his  cabin,  which  was  on 
tiie  port  side  of  the  vessel,  at  the  further  end  of  the 
saloon.  I  found  the  patient  stretched  on  his  back  in 
his  bunk,  holding  an  empty  laudanum  bottle  in  his 
hand. 

One  moment's  examination  showed  me  that  life  was 
extinct  ;  he  had  been  dead  nearly  an  hour.  In  this 
fashion  had  Alie's  difficulty  been  solved  for  her,  and, 
perhaps,  all  things  considered,  though  it  seems  rather 
a  cruel  thing  to  say,  in  the  best  possible  manner  for  all 
parties. 

"Is  there  no  chance  at  all  of  saving  him  ?"  asked 
Walworth,  who  had  been  watching  me  intently  during 
my  examination. 

"Not  one  !  "  I  answered.  "Ebbington's  gone  where 
even  the  Beautiful  AVhite  Devil's  vengeance  won't  reach 


RETRIBUTION.  185 

him.  Poor  devil  !  Fancy  coming  into  the  M'oiid  for 
such  a  fate  as  tliis  !  " 

"  Humph  !  Frightened  out  of  his  senses,  I  expect. 
Well,  now,  I  suppose  I  must  go  and  tell  her  ladyship. 
I'm  sorry,  doctor,  to  have  troubled  j^on  in  vain." 

"  Don't  mention  it.  I'm  only  sorry  nothing  could  be 
done.     Good-night  !  " 

«  Good-night ! " 

I  drew  the  blanket  over  the  foce,  and  then  locking  the 
door  behind  me,  went  back  to  my  own  cabin  to  think  it 
all  out.  One  thing  became  perfectly  plain  to  me  when 
I  examined  my  medical  chest— and  that  was,  Ebbington's 
reason  for  being  iu  my  berth. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


A    TYPnOON. 


At  five  o'clock  next  morning,  being  unable  to  bear 
tlie  closeness  of  ni}'-  cabin  any  longer,  I  dressed  myself 
and  went  on  deck.  To  my  surprise  the  scbooner  was 
stationary,  and  wrapped  in  as  dense  a  fog  as  ever  I 
remember  to  have  seen.  So  still  was  tlie  air  that  every 
sail  bnng  limp  and  motionless,  and  so  thick  the  fog 
that,  wlien  I  emerged  from  the  companion  hatch,  I  could 
hardly  distinguish  the  bulwarks  on  either  side.  It  Avas 
the  intense  quiet,  however,  that  was  at  once  the  most 
m^'sterious  and  the  impressive  part  of  the  scene.  The 
steady  drip  of  the  moisture  on  tlie  deck,  and  now  and 
again  the  faint  Jip  lap  of  a  wavelet  against  the  side,  the 
creaking  of  a  block  in  the  rigging  above  my  head,  or 
the  subdued  tones  of  a  man's  voice  coming  from  the 
fori-ard  of  the  foremast  were  all  the  sounds  that  I  could 
hear.  It  was  most  depressing  ;  so,  for  the  sake  of  com- 
panionship, I  fumbled  my  way  over  to  the  starboard 
bulwark,  and,  liaving  found  it,  ran  it  along  to  tlie 
bridge,  where  I  almost  fell  into  some  person's  arms. 
The  fog  here  was  so  thick  that  I  could  not  see  his  face, 
so  I  inquired  his  name, 

"  Walworth,"  Avas  the  reply,  "  and  from  your  voice 
you  should  be  Dr,  Do  Normanville," 

"  Quite  right,"  I  answered.  "But  what  a  fog  this  is, 
to  be  sure  !     How  long  have  we  been  in  it  ?  " 

18G 


A  TYPHOOX.  187 

"  Very  nearly  tliree  Lours,"  he  replietl.  "  It's  most 
unfortunate.  By  the  way,  I  want  to  ask  a  favour  of 
you  on  her  ladysliip's  account.  We  are  going  to  bury 
that  poor  beggar  Ebbington  in  half  an  hour.  Will  you 
conduct  the  service  ?  " 

"  Did  her  ladyship  tell  you  to  ask  me  ?  " 

lie  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

"Then  if  it  is  her  desire  of  course  I  Avill  do  so,"  I 
replied,  "  though  I  must  own  I  do  not  very  much  look 
forward  to  the  task." 

He  thanked  me  and  went  below  to  give  the  necessary 
instructions.  I  waited  about,  and  in  half  an  hour  the 
body  was  brought  on  deck,  neatly  sewn  up  in  a  ham- 
mock, and  covered  with  a  plain  white  ensign  by  way 
of  a  pall.  Though  Ave  could  hardly  see  each  other,  or 
the  bier,  we  took  our  jjlace  at  the  gangway,  and  I  at 
once  began  to  read  the  beautiful  service  for  the  burial 
of  the  dead  at  sea.  When  I  arrived  at  the  place  Avhere 
it  is  instructed  that  the  body  shall  be  cast  into  the  deep, 
I  gave  a  signal,  and  the  stretcher  was  tilted,  so  that  the 
hammock  and  its  grim  contents  slid  off  it  and  fell  with 
a  sullen  splash  into  the  water  alongside.  Just  as  it 
disappeared  a  curious  thing  happened. 

The  body  could  hardly  have  touched  the  water  before 
tlie  fog  was  lifted,  as  though  by  some  giant  hand,  and 
the  sun  shone  brilliantly  forth.  The  transition  from 
the  obscurity  of  semi-darkness  to  bright  sunshine  was 
quite  dazzling,  and  set  us  all  blinking  like  so  many  owls. 
Then  I  saw  every  face  turn  suddenly  in  one  direction, 
and  as  they  did  so  every  mouth  went  down.  Next 
moment  the  officer  of  the  watch  had  bounded  to  the 
engine-room  telegrapli,  there  was  a  confused  ringing  of 


188  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

bells   in   tlie  bowels   of   the  ship,  and  before  a  minute 
could  Lave  elapsed  we  were  under  weigh  once  more. 

And  Avliat  do  you  tliink  was  the  reason  of  all  this 
commotion  ?  Why,  tliere,  not  half  a  mile  distant  from 
us,  full  steam  up,  and  ensign  streaming  in  the  breeze, 
lay  an  enormous  English  man-of-war.  Slie  was  evi- 
dently on  our  trail,  and,  by  altering  her  course  only  half 
a  point,  might  have  run  us  down  in  the  fog.  It  was 
very  evident  she  had  only  just  become  aware  that  she 
v/as  so  close  to  her  prey,  or  she  would  surely  have  sent 
a  boat  and  attempted  to  take  us  prisoner.  As  it  was, 
this  sudden  lifting  of  the  fog  must  have  caused  them  as 
much  surprise  as  it  did  us,  for  it  was  a  good  minute 
before  we  beard  the  shouting  of  orders  and  blowing  of 
bo'sun's  pipes  aboard  her.  As  soon  as  I  had  recovered 
from  my  astonishment,  I  fetched  a  glass  from  the  rack 
and  brought  it  to  bear  on  her,  at  the  same  time  convinc- 
ing myself  that  we  were  in  for  a  warm  quarter  of  an 
hour. 

True  to  our  expectations,  before  we  had  been  steam- 
ing a  couple  of  minutes  tliere  came  a  puff  of  smoke 
from  her  port  bow,  and  an  instant  later  a  shot  flew  in 
front  of  us  and  dropped  into  the  water  a  mile  or  so  on 
our  left  side.  It  was  evidently  a  signal  to  us  to  heave 
to  without  any  nonsense  or  further  waste  of  time.  But 
as  the  boom  of  the  gun  died  away,  Alio  made  her 
appearance  from  the  after-companion  and  came  over  to 
where  I  stood. 

"  Good-morning,  Dr.  Do  Normanville  !  "  she  saitl,  as 
calmly  as  if  we  were  greeting  each  other  in  Hyde  Park. 
"You  see  how  anxious  your  government  is  to  have  me 
in  its  keeping.     Mr.  Patterson,  full  steam  ahead  !  " 


A  TYPHOON.  189 

The  chief  officer  touched  his  cap,  gave  the  order,  and 
then  resumed  liis  promenade,  stopping  now  and  again 
to  examine  the  man-of-war  througli  his  glass. 

"  They're  going  to  fire  another  gun,  and  then  if  Ave 
don't  attend  to  that  they  will  chase  us,"  said  Alie,  who 
was  also  closely  scrutinising  her  great  opponent's  move- 
ments. 

She  was  correct  in  her  prophecy,  for  as  she  finished 
speaking  anotlier  jet  of  flame  issued  from  the  cruiser's 
side,  followed  by  a  sullen  roar.  This  time  the  shot 
passed  through  our  rigging,  fortunately,  however,  with- 
out doing  any  damage,  and  next  moment  we  could  see 
that  she  was  under  weigh.  It  was  going  to  be  a  stern 
chase  and,  if  they  didn't  hull  us  before  we  got  out  of 
range,  we  knew  it  would  be  a  long  one. 

Seeing  that  we  did  not  intend  to  heave  to,  as  she 
ordered,  our  antagonist  sent  another  shot  after  us,  but 
this  time  it  fell  altogether  wide  of  the  mark.  Alie 
called  the  third  officer  to  her  side. 

"Liquire  from  the  engine  room  what  we're  doing, 
Mr.  Gammel  !  "  she  said. 

The  officer  asked  the  necessary  question,  and  the 
answer  came  back,  "  Eighteen." 

"  Tell  them  to  give  her  every  ounce  of  steam  she  is 
capable  of  carrying.  We  must  not  allow  our  friend 
yonder  to  get  us  within  range  again,  or  one  of  those 
chance  shots  may  hull  us." 

Then  turning  to  me  she  continued,  as  if  in  explana- 
tion, "  You  see.  Dr.  De  Norraanville,  I  have  no  desire 
to  fall  into  their  hands  yet  awhile." 

I  felt  as  though  I  would  have  given  anything  to  have 
been  allowed  to  say  something  at  this  juncture,  but  I 


190  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

remembered  my  compact  with  Ler  and  wisely  held  my 
tongue.  If,  however,  the  masculine  reader  wishes  to 
realise  my  feelings  at  all,  let  him  imagine  the  woman  of 
his  heart  in  such  imminent  danger  as  mine  was  then  ; 
let  it  be  properly  brought  home  to  him  that  the  only 
thing  he  can  do  to  save  her  is  to  look  on  and  speculate 
as  to  M'hat  the  result  may  be,  and  I  fancy  he  will  not 
enjoy  it  any  more  than  I  did.  All  my  life  long  shall  I 
retain  the  memory  of  the  quarter  of  an  hour  I  spent  by 
Alie's  side,  watching  that  sinister  vessel  lumbering  after 
us  like  a  giant  in  chase  of  a  dwarf.  But  fortunately 
for  his  safety,  our  dwarf  could  run,  and  to  such  good 
purpose  that  by  breakfast  time  we  had  drawn  com- 
pletely out  of  range. 

During  our  meal,  of  which  I  partook  in  the  officer's 
mess,  for  I  did  not  breakfast  with  Alie  everj^  morning, 
I  noticed  a  nervous,  and,  as  I  thought,  a  hopelesslj^  sad 
look  upon  the  chief  officer's  face.  Could  it  be  the  pres- 
ence of  the  man-of-war  that  occasioned  it?  I  did  not 
question  him,  of  course  ;  but  when  he  halted  at  the  foot 
of  the  ladder,  glanced  anxiously  at  the  barometer,  and 
returned  to  the  deck,  I  asked  Walworth  if  anything 
were  the  matter. 

"Look  at  the  glass  for  yourself,"  he  said.  "Don't 
j^ou  see  that  it  is  dropping  in  a  most  alarming  fashion? 
And  if  you  listen  for  a  moment  you  will  hear  how  the 
wind  and  sea  are  rising." 

And  so  they  were  !  There  could  be  no  mistake  about 
that.  I  ])icked  up  my  cap,  and  followed  the  chief's 
example. 

What  a  different  scene  presented  itself  when  I  gained 
the  deck  !     When  I  had  left  it  to  go  below  to  breakfast, 


A  TYPHOON.  191 

the  water  had  been  as  smooth  as  a  millpond  ;  now  it  ran 
a  comparatively  high  sea,  and  its  anger  was  momentarily 
increasing.  The  Lo7ie  Star  was  still  steaming  through 
it  like  a  witch,  though  her  pursuer  could  only  just  be 
discerned  on  the  southern  horizon.  From  the  heavy 
and  confused  water  all  round  me  I  turned  ray  eyes  aloft 
and  examined  the  sk}",  across  which  a  quantity  of 
curious-shaped  clouds  were  flying,  resembling  well- 
combed  horses'  manes  more  than  anything  else  to  which 
I  could  liken  them.  Even  to  my  inexperienced  eyes 
tlicy  did  not  present  a  reassuring  appearance,  and  it  was 
evident  that  the  officer  of  the  watch  shared  my  anxiety, 
for  he  was  having  everj'thing  made  snug  as  swiftly  as 
possible. 

By  ten  o^clock  the  wind  had  risen  to  the  strength  of  a 
more  than  moderate  gale,  and  the  sea  in  proportion.  It 
was  most  alarming,  and  I  must  confess  that,  seeing  the 
strength  of  the  wind,  I  Avas  a  little  surprised  when, 
about  the  middle  of  the  morning,  Alie  appeared  on 
deck.  She  came  aft  to  where  I  was  standing,  and, 
having  looked  at  the  compass  card,  gazed  round  her. 

"  If  I'm  not  mistaken  we're  in  for  a  typhoon,"  she 
shouted,  her  glorious  hair  blowing  in  tangled  profusion 
across  her  ej'es  and  about,  her  face.  "  Our  friend,  the 
cruiser,  you  see,  is  out  of  sight.  I  expect  she  thinks 
it's  useless  endeavouring  to  chase  us  across  such  a  sea." 
Then,  turning  to  Walworth,  who  was  standing  near, 
she  cried  :  ''  Send  Mr.  Patterson  to  me." 

Though  it  was  not  Patterson's  watch  on  deck  he  was 
too  anxious  about  the  weather  and  his  ship  to  go  below. 
Immediately  on  receiving  Alie's  message  he  came  aft,  and, 
having  touclied  his  sou'wester,  waited  for  her  to  speak. 


192  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"Mr.  Patterson,  what  is  your  opinion  of  the 
weather?"  she  shouted  in  his  ear,  for  it  Avas  impossible 
to  make  yourself  lieard  by  any  ordinarj^  means.  "Don't 
you  think  we  had  better  heave  to  and  endeavour  to  find 
out  how  the  centre  of  the  storm  bears  from  us?" 

"I  was  just  going  to  do  so,"  Patterson  bellowed,  in 
reply.  Then,  turning  to  his  subordinate,  he  gave  the 
necessary  instructions  in  a  yell  that  sounded  like  a  fog 
horn.  The  yacht's  nose  was  immediately  pointed  dead 
to  the  wind,  Avhich  at  that  moment  was  due  N.  E.,  the 
requisite  number  of  points  to  the  right  of  it  were  then 
taken,  and  the  centre  of  the  approaching  hurricane  found 
to  be  exactly  S.  S.  E,  of  our  position.  At  this  juncture 
Walworth,  who  had  been  acting  under  instructions, 
returned  from  the  cudd}^  and  reported  the  barometer 
had  fallen  to  27.45.  It  might,  therefore,  be  inferred 
that  we  were  within  the  storm  circle,  and,  for  the  same 
reason,  it  was  apparent  that  our  safety  entirely  depended 
upon  our  being  able  to  avoid  the  centre  of  the  field. 
Having  decided  the  direction  of  the  storm,  and  dis- 
covered that  we  lay  in  the  due  line  of  its  advance, — the 
most  dangerous  of  all, — there  Avas  nothing  for  it  but  to 
run  with  the  wind  on  our  starboard  quarter. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  scene  presented  as  our  course 
was  changed.  Even  now,  when  I  shut  my  eyes,  I  can 
see  it  as  clearly  before  me  as  if  I  were  standing  in  the 
very  thick  of  it  again.  I  can  see  the  heavens,  black 
with  angry  clouds,  frowning  down  on  a  confused  and 
angry  sea  that  dashed  against  our  hull  with  terrific  and 
repeated  violence.  I  can  see  the  waters  one  moment 
raising  us  on  high,  the  next  hurling  us  deep  down  into 
Bome  black  and  horrible  abj'ss.     And  all  the  time  I  can 


A  TYPHOON.  193 

hear  the  wind  slirieking  and  yelling  tlirougli  the  cord- 
age like  the  chorus  of  a  million  devils. 

It  "svas  impossible  to  hear  oneself  speak,  and  on  the 
bridge  almost  impossible  to  retain  one's  balance  against 
the  "wind's  pressure.  And,  what  was  worse,  the  anger 
of  the  storm  was  increasing  every  moment. 

I  looked  from  Alie,  who,  enveloped  in  oilskins,  was 
clinging  to  the  starboard  railing,  then  to  the  chief 
officer  gazing  anxiously  aloft,  and  from  both  to  the 
men  struggling  and  straining  at  the  wheel.  Now,  when 
a  great  wave,  seemingly  mountains  higli,  dark  as  green 
jade,  and  topped  with  liissing  foam,  -would  come  tearing 
towards  us,  obscuring  half  the  horizon,  I  would  shut  my 
eyes  and  wait  for  it  to  engulf  us.  Then  I  would  feel 
the  noble  little  vessel  meet  it,  rise  on  to  its  crest,  and 
next  moment  be  sinking  again,  down,  down,  down  into 
the  trough.  Then  once  more  I  would  draw  breath  and 
open  my  eyes,  just  in  time  to  see  another  rise  and  meet 
her  forrard,  to  break  with  a  roar  uj)on  the  fo'c's'le  head, 
carrying  away  a  dozen  feet  of  bulwark  and  one  of  the 
boats  as  if  both  were  built  of  so  much  paper. 

For  nearly  five  hours  the  hurricane  continued  with 
the' same  awful  violence,  and  all  that  time  I  remained  on 
the  bridge  with  Alie,  afraid  to  go  below,  lest,  when  the 
vessel  went  to  pieces,  as  I  infallibly  believed  she  must, 
I  should  be  separated  from  the  woman  I  loved.  It  may 
be  said  tliat  I  proved  m3'sclf  a  coward.  I  do  not  deny 
it.  I  will  confess  that  I  was  more  frightened  then  than, 
with  the  exception  of  one  occasion  to  be  hereafter 
narrated,  I  have  ever  been  in  ni}^  life.  And  yet,  some- 
how, I  am  not  without  a  feeling  that,  after  all,  mine 
should  have  been  classed  as  of  the  mafjnificent  order  of 


194  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

courage  ;  for,  tliongli  my  heart  bad  absolutely  lost  all 
boj^e,  I  spared  my  companions  any  exhibition  of  ray 
terror,  and  nerving  myself  for  the  occasion,  looked 
Death  in  the  face  with  an  equable  countenance,  believ- 
ing every  moment  he  would  snatch  me  into  the  hollow 
of  his  hand. 

Towards  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  strength  of 
the  gale  began  somewhat  to  abate,  the  sea  lost  its 
greater  fury,  and  the  barometer  in  a  measure  recovered 
its  stability.  It  seemed  incredible  that  the  Zo7ie  Star 
could  have  come  through  it  so  safel}^,  for,  with  the 
exception  of  one  man  washed  overboard,  another  who 
had  three  of  his  ribs  smashed  in  by  a  marauding  sea,  a 
portion  of  the  port  bulwark  and  a  boat  carried  awaj^,  as 
above  described,  and  another  crashed  to  atoms  on  the 
davits,  we  had  experienced  no  casualties  worth  men- 
tioning. 

Yij  the  time  darkness  fell,  the  sea  was  almost  its 
old  calm,  placid  self  again,  so  quickly  do  these  terrible 
typhoons  spring  up  and  die  away.  As  soon  as  we  were 
certain  all  danger  was  past,  the  j'acht  was  returned  to 
her  course,  and  we  once  more  proceeded  on  our  waj'. 
What  had  become  of  our  pursuer,  or  how  she  had 
weathered  the  storm,  we  could  not  telL  Up  to  the  time 
daylight  left  us  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  her,  and  we 
began  devoutly  to  hope  m'c  had  given  her  the  slip  for 
good  and  all. 

How  Avonderful  and  inscrutable  is  the  mighty  deep  ! 
Next  day  the  weather  was  as  peaceful  as  ever  I  had 
seen  it — bright  sunshine,  gentle  breezes,  and  a  sea  as 
smooth  as  polished  silver.  After  breakfast,  the  awning, 
which   on   account  of  the  storm   had   been  unshipped 


A  TYPHOON.  195 

tlie  clay  before,  was  rigged  again,  antl,  drawing  a  deck 
cliair  aft,  I  settled  myself  down  to  read  beneath  its 
shade.  A  few  minutes  later  Alie  and  her  companion 
joined  me.  I  brought  them  seats,  and  then,  for  the  first 
time,  I  saw  the  Beautiful  White  Devil — for  I  must 
sometimes  call  lier  by  her  picturesque  Chinese  cogno- 
men— engaged  in  needlework.  Why  I  should  have 
found  anything  extraordinary  in  such  a  circumstance  I 
cannot  say.  Possibly  it  may  have  been  because  I  had 
never  imagined  that  there  could  be  sufficient  leisure  iu 
her  life  for  such  a  homely  occupation.  At  any  rate, 
I  know  that  to  watch  her  bent  head,  with  its  glorious 
wealth  of  hair  ;  to  see  those  beautiful  Avhite  fingers, 
unadorned  by  jewellry  of  any  sort,  twisting  and  twin- 
ing among  her  silks,  and  to  make  out  one  little  foot 
peeping  beneath  her  snow-white  dress,  sent  a  thrill 
through  me  that  made  me  tingle  from  top  to  toe. 

Suddenly  one  of  the  hands  engaged  upon  some  work 
in  the  fore-rigging  uttered  a  cry  in  the  native.  Alie 
and  her  companion  sprang  fo  their  feet  ;  and,  though  I 
did  not  understand  what  had  happened  I  followed  their 
example.  AVe  ran  to  the  starboard  bulwark,  but  nothing 
was  to  be  seen  there.  Not  being  able  to  make  it  out, 
I  asked  what  had  occasioned  the  alarm. 

"  One  of  the  hands  reports  a  boat  away  to  starboard," 
said  Alie. 

She  turned  to  one  of  the  younger  officers,  who  was 
standing  near,  and  ordered  him  aloft  to  take  the  boat's 
bearing.  As  soon  as  this  was  discovered  the  yacht  Avas 
put  over  on  a  tack  that  would  bring  us  close  up  with  it, 
and  after  that  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  wait  pa- 
tiently for  the  result.    • 


196  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

For  some  time  we  could  not  see  anytliing  ;  then  a 
small  black  speck  made  it  appearance  about  two  points 
off  our  starboard  bow  and  gradually  grew  plainer, 

"  Keep  her  as  she  goes,"  said  Alie  to  the  man  at  the 
wheel,  while  we  strained  our  eyes  towards  the  tiny  dot. 

Little  by  little  it  became  more  distinct  until  we  were 
sufficiently  near  to  make  out  with  a  glass  that  it  was  a 
man-of-war's  gig  jiulled  by  two  men  and  containing 
three  others.  Ten  minutes  later  the  yacht  was  hove  to, 
And  Patterson  clambered  on  to  the  rail  of  the  bulwarks. 

"Are  you  strong  enough  to  bring  her  alongside,  do 
j'-ou  think  ?  "  he  bellowed,  "  or  shall  we  send  a  boat  to 
tow  you  ?  " 

The  man  steering,  who  was  evidently  an  officer,  fun- 
nelled his  mouth  with  his  hands  and  shouted  back  that 
they  thought  they  could  manage  it.  Then,  as  if  to 
prove  his  words,  the  men  Avho  had  been  rowing,  but  had 
now  stopped,  resumed  their  monotonous  labour.  Bit  by 
bit  the  tiny  craft  crept  over  the  oily  surface  towards  us 
until  slie  was  close  enough  for  us  to  see  with  our  naked 
eyes  all  that  she  contained. 

As  she  came  alongside,  our  gangway  was  lowered, 
and  within  an  hour  from  the  time  of  our  first  sighting 
licr  the  boat's  crew  stood  upon  our  deck.  In  spite  of 
their  man-of-war  dress,  a  more  miserable,  woe-begone 
appearance  could  not  have  been  imagined  than  the  party 
presented.  It  consisted  of  one  lieutenant,  a  midship- 
man, and  three  able  seamen,  and  out  of  curiosity  I 
glanced  at  the  cap  of  the  man  standing  nearest  me.  It 
bore  the  name  II.  M.  S.  Asiatic.  Then  I  looked  round 
for  Alie,  only  to  discover  that  she  had  mysteriously  dis- 
appeared.    It   Avas  left  for  Patterson  to  welcome  the 


A  TYPHOON.  197 

poor  fellows  to  the  yacht,  and  this  he  accordingly  did, 
with  a  hearty  kindness  that  I  should  hardly  have  ex- 
pected from  him. 

"  Before  you  tell  nie  anything  about  yourselves,"  he 
said,  "  let  me  arrange  for  the  comfort  of  your  men." 
Then  calling  a  hand  to  him,  he  continued,  pointing  to 
the  three  Jacks  who  stood  sheepishly  by,  "Take  these 
men  forrard  and  tell  the  cook  to  give  them  all  they 
want.  You  can  supply  them  with  hammocks  among 
you  and  find  room  somewhere  for  them  to  sling  them." 
Then,  turning  to  the  officers  again,  he  said,  "  Will  you 
be  so  good  as  to  follow  me,  gentlemen  ?  "  and  led  the 
way  down  the  companion  to  the  cudd3^  Thinking  my 
professional  services  might  possibly  be  required  I  fol- 
lowed with  Walworth. 

On  reaching  the  cabin  they  were  conducted  to  seats, 
and  food  was  immediately  set  before  them.  They  fell 
upon  it  like  starving  men,  and  for  some  time  only  the 
sound  of  steady  munching  and  the  clatter  of  knives  and 
forks  was  to  be  heard.  When  they  had  finished,  the 
midshipman,  without  warning,  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears, 
and  was  led  by  Walworth  to  a  cabin  near  by,  where, 
when  his  torrent  had  worn  itself  out,  the  poor  little  chap 
fell  fast  asleep. 

"  Now,"  said  Patterson,  as  soon  as  the  lieutenant  had 
finished  his  meal,  "perhaps  you  will  tell  me  your 
story  ?  " 

"  It  won't  take  long  to  do  that,"  the  officer  began. 
"  I  am  the  first  lieutenant  of  Her  Majesty's  cruiser  Asi- 
atic. We  were  sent  out  from  Singapore  last  Saturday 
in  pursuit  of  this  very  yacht,  if  I  mistake  not.  As  you 
know,  we  almost  picked  you  up  in  the  fog,  but  when  it 


198  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

lifted,  yonr  superior  steaming  power  enabled  you  to  es- 
cape xis.  Tlien  the  typhoon  caught  us,  and  in  looking 
after  ourselves,  we  lost  sight  of  you  altogether.  We 
rode  out  the  storm  safely  enough,  but,  just  at  sun-time 
yesterda}",  she  struck  an  uncharted  rock  and  went  down 
M'ithin  five  minutes." 

He  stopped  for  a  moment  and  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands. 

"This  is  terrible  news!"  cried  Patterson,  while  we 
all  gave  utterance  to  expressions  of  horrified  astonish- 
ment.    "  And  was  yours  the  only  boat  that  got  away  ?  " 

"  I'm  very  much  afraid  so,"  he  replied.  "  At  least  I 
saw  no  other.  Yes,  you  are  right,  it  is  terrible,  and  Iler 
Majesty  has  lost  a  fine  vessel  and  a  splendid  ship's  com- 
pany in  the  Asiatic.''^ 

.  When  the  poor  fellow  had  finished  his  story  he  was 
silent  for  some  minutes.  Indeed,  so  were  we  all.  It 
seemed  almost  incredible  that  the  great  vessel  we  had 
admired,  and  feared,  only  the  day  before,  should  now  be 
lying,  witli  the  majority  of  her  crew,  deep  down  at  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean. 

"  We  are  fortunate  in  having  been  able  to  pick  you 
up,"  said  Patterson,  after  a  while.  "  An  hour  later  and 
we  should  have  clianged  our  course,  and  have  been 
many  miles  away." 

"  In  that  case  Ave  should  have  been  dead  men  by 
nightfall,"  Avas  the  reply.  "As  it  Avas,  we  lost  one 
man." 

"  IIow  did  it  happen  ?  " 

"  The  poor  devil  Avent  mad,  and  jumped  overboard. 
Remember,  Ave  had  no  Avatcr  and  nothing  to  eat,  and 
BO  you  may  imagine  it  Avas  heart-breaking  Avork  pulling 


A  TYPHOON.  199 

in  tliat  baking  sun.  The  miracle  to  me  is  that  the  boy 
stood  it  as  well  as  be  did." 

"  Poor  little  chap  !  It  must  haA'e  been  a  terrible  ex- 
perience for  him." 

"  And  what  do  j^ou  intend  doing  with  us?  "  asked  the 
officer,  after  a  little  pause.  "  For,  of  course,  we're  your 
prisoners." 

"  That  I  cannot  say,"  Patterson  answered.  "  It  does 
not  lie  within  my  province.  However,  you'll  hear  soon 
enough — never  fear.  By  the  way,  I  suppose  you  will 
give  me  your  woi'd  that  you  will  not  attempt  to  play  us 
any  tricks.  You  must  remember,  jjlease,  that  to  all  in- 
tents and  purposes  we  are  at  war  !  " 

"I  will  give  you  m}'  word.     Is  that  enough?" 

"Quite  enough.  And  now  that  you  have  done  so  I 
make  you  free  of  our  ward-room  and  its  contents." 

All  the  time  Patterson  had  been  speaking  I  had 
noticed  that  the  lieutenant,  whose  name,  it  transpired 
later,  was  Thorden,  had  been  staring  at  his  face  as  if 
trying  to  recall  some  countenance  it  reminded  him  of. 
Just  as  we  were  preparing  to  go  on  deck  again  his 
memory  seemed  to  come  back  to  him. 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  what  I  am  going  to  say,  and 
stop  me  if  I  am  recalling  any  unpleasant  memories,"  he 
blurted  out;  "but  ever  since  I  came  aboard  I've  been 
wondering  where  Ave  have  met  before.  Aren't  you 
Gregory,  avIio  was  commander  of  the  gunboat  Parcifal 
in  the  Egpytian  business  of  1879?" 

Patterson  fell  back  against  the  Avall  as  if  he  had  been 
shot.  For  a  moment  his  face  was  as  white  as  the  paper 
I  am  now  writing  upon,  tlien,  with  a  great  effort,  he 
pulled  himself  together,  and  answered  : 


200  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  I  liave  quite  forgotten  that  I  had  a^^y  existence  at 
all  in  1879.  May  I  beg  that  3'ou  will  not  recall  the 
fact  to  my  memory?"  Then,  as  if  to  change  the  sub- 
ject, he  continued,  "I  expect  you  would  like  to  rest 
after  all  your  troubles  ;  pray  let  me  conduct  you  to  a 
cabin." 

"Many  thanL's,"  said  Tliorden  ;  and  with  that  they 
went  along  the  alleyway  together,  and  I  returned  to 
the  deck  to  think  out  Avhat  I  had  heard.  It  was,  of 
course,  no  business  of  mine  ;  but  I  was  interested  in 
Patterson,  and  could  not  help  speculating  as  to  what  the 
reason  could  have  been  that  had  induced  him  to  abandon 
a  career  in  which,  even  so  many  years  ago,  he  seemed  to 
have  attained  such  exalted  rank. 

During  the  afternoon  I  received  an  invitation  from 
Alie  to  dine  with  her  that  evening.  She  stated  in  the 
little  note  she  sent  mc  that  she  had  also  asked  the  rescued 
lieutenant  and  his  midshipman,  and  I  gathered  from  this 
that  something  out  of  the  common  was  toward. 

About  an  hour  before  dusk,  as  I  was  reading  in  the 
officers'  mess-room,  the  lieutenant  came  out  of  his  cabin 
and  sat  down  at  the  table  beside  me.  He  looked  round 
to  see  that  we  were  alone,  and  then  said  in  a  confidential 
Avhisper  : 

"  Your  position  on  board  this  boat.  Dr.  De  Norman- 
ville,  has  already  been  explained  to  me.  I'm  sure  I 
sympathise  with  you  ;  but,  for  rather  selfish  motives,  1 
am  glad  you  are  not  in  league  with  this  extraordinary 
Avoman.  I  have  received  an  invitation  to  dine  in  her 
cabin  this  evening,  and  I  want  you,  if  you  will,  to  tell 
me  something  about  her.  Do  you  know  enough  to 
►satisfy  my  curiosity  ?  " 


A  TYPHOON.  201 

"  I'll  tell  you  all  I  can,"  I  answered  frankly.  "  What 
is  it  you  want  to  know  ?  " 

"  Well,  first  and  foremost,"  lie  continued,  Avitli  a 
laugh,  "since  I've  received  tliis  invitation,  "wliat  sort  of 
meal  is  she  likely  to  give  us?" 

"A  very  fair  one,  I  should  fancy,"  I  replied.  "At 
least,  I  hope  so,  as  I  am  invited  to  be  one  of  the  party." 

"You  are?  "Well,  I  am  glad  of  that.  And  now 
another  question.  What  is  she  like?  Of  course,  one 
has  heard  all  sorts  of  reports  about  her  beauty  and 
accomplishments,  but  when  one  has  travelled  about  the 
world  one  soon  learns  to  believe  rather  less  than  half  of 
what  one  hears." 

"  Ah,  yes  ;  it's  as  well  not  to  be  too  sanguine,  isn't 
it  ?  "  I  answered,  resolved,  if  possible,  to  mislead  him, 
"  especially  with  regard  to  women.  Now,  I've  no  doubt 
you  expect  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  to  be  really  young 
and  beautiful  ?  " 

"  And  is  she  not  ?  Well,  well !  There  goes  another 
illusion.  Before  I  came  out  here  I  had  my  own  idea  of 
the  East — it  was  to  be  all  state  elephants  and  diamond- 
studded  howdahs,  jewelled  Rajahs,  mysterious  pagodas 
with  tingling  golden  bells  and  rustling  palm  trees,  lovely 
houris  and  Arabian  Nights'  adventures.  But  it  isn't 
like  that  by  a  long  chalk.  And  so  the  Beautiful  White 
Devil  goes  with  the  rest,  does  she  ?  But  don't  tell  me 
that  she's  old,  and,  above  all,  don't  tell  me  she's  fat." 

"  I  won't  tell  you  anything  about  her,"  I  answered, 
with  a  laugh;  "you  must  wait  and  judge  for  yourself. 
One  caution,  however,  before  you  see  her:  beware  how 
you  behave  towards  her,  and  if  I  might  venture  a  hint, 
make  a  good  toilet.     She's  very  particular,  and  it's  well 


202  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE   DEVIL. 

to  humour  lier.  My  tilings  are  at  your  disposal,  of 
course." 

He  thanked  nic,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  him  or  the 
midshipman  until  a  few  minutes  before  dinner  time, 
when  I  met  them  on  deck  and  accompanied  them  to 
Alie's  saloon.  Having  descended  the  companion-ladder 
I  drew  back  the  curtain  for  them  to  enter.  Prepared  as 
I  was  to  see  him  show  astonishment,  I  had  no  idea  the 
lieutenant  wor.ld  be  filled  with  such  amazement  as  he 
betrayed  when  we  entered  the  beautiful  cabin  I  have 
before  described.  As  good  luck  had  it  Alie  was  not 
2>resent,  and  so  we  were  able  to  look  about  us  undis- 
turbed. 

"  Wliy  didn't  you  prepare  me  for  this?"  whispered 
my  companion,  after  he  had  glanced  round  the  cabin. 
"I  never  saw  anything  like  it  before,  and  I've  been 
aboard  scores  of  yachts  in  my  time." 

"  There  is  but  one  Beautiful  White  Devil,"  I  said, 
with  serio-comic  earnestness. 

"  Curios,  china,  skins,  divans,  musical  instruments,  a 
grand  piano  even,  and,  by  Jove,  inlaid  with  tortoiseshell 
and  lapis  lazuli !  It's  wonderful,  it's  superb  !  And  now 
I  want  to  see  the  woman  who  owns  it  all." 

"Steady,"  I  whispered  ;  "if  I  mistake  not,  here  she 
comes." 

As  I  spoke,  the  curtains  at  the  other  end  of  the  cabin 
were  parted  by  a  tiny  hand,  and  Alie,  dressed  entirely 
in  black,  stood  before  us.  The  colour  of  her  costume 
showed  off  the  superb  beauty  of  her  complexion  and 
liair,  while  its  making  exhibited  her  matchless  figure  to 
perfection.  She  stood  for  a  moment  in  the  doorway, 
and   then   advanced  towards   us  with   that   wonderful 


A  TYPHOON.  203 

floating  grace  wLicli  always  cliaracterized  her,  giving 
me  her  little  hand  first,  and  then  turning  towards  her 
otlier  guests. 

To  the  lieutenant  she  bowed  and  said  with  a  smile  : 

"  Sir,  you  must  forgive  my  not  having  personally  wel- 
comed you  to  my  boat.  But,  for  reasons  which  would 
not  interest  you,  I  am  not  always  able  to  do  as  much  as 
I  could  wish.  However,  I  hope  my  otHccrs  have  taken 
every  care  of  you." 

She  shook  hands  with  the  handsome  little  midshipman 
as  she  spoke,  and  while  she  was  doing  so  I  had  time  to 
steal  a  look  at  the  first  lieutenant's  face.  The  astonish- 
ment I  saw  depicted  there  almost  caused  me  to  laugh. 
He  had  been  amazed  at  the  beauty  of  the  cabin  ;  but 
that  was  nothing  compared  with  the  admiration  he  be- 
trayed for  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  herself.  He  mur- 
mured a  confused,  but  not  altogether  inappropriate  reply 
to  her  last  speech,  and  then  we  sat  down  to  dinner.  Her 
companion,  I  learnt  on  inquiry,  was  suffering  from  a 
severe  headache,  and  had  elected  to  dine  in  her  own 
cabin. 

The  dinner  was  in  the  chef's  best  style,  and  its  cook- 
ing, serving,  and  variety,  combined  with  the  beauty  and 
value  of  the  table  decorations,  evidently  completed  the 
effect  upon  the  oflicer  that  the  cabin  had  begun,  Alie 
herself  was  in  excellent  spirits,  and  talked  with  the  wit 
and  cleverness  of  a  woman  who  has  perfected  an  origin- 
ally liberal  education  by  continual  and  varied  study  of 
the  world  and  its  inhabitants.  By  the  time  the  meal 
was  ended  and  we  had  bade  her  good-night,  the  lieuten- 
ant was  in  a  maze  of  enchantment. 

We  went  on  deck  together,  and  once  there,  out  of  ear- 
14 


204  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

shot  of  the  cabin,  his  enthusiasm  broke  loose,  I  will 
spare  yon,  however,  a  recital  of  all  the  extravagant 
things  he  said.  Let  it  snffice-  that  I  gathered  enough 
to  feel  sure  that  when  be  got  back  to  Hong  Kong  he 
would  add  to,  rather  than  detract  from,  the  number  of 
stories  already  in  circulation  about  the  too  famous 
Beautiful  White  Devil.  One  promise,  however,  I  took 
care  to  extract  from  both  officers,  and  that  was,  not  to 
mention  my  name  in  connection  with  the  yacht  on  their 
return  to  civilisation,  I  made  the  excuse  tliat  if  such  a 
thing  got  known  it  might  do  me  serious  harm  in  the 
practice  of  my  profession,  and  both  men  readily  gave 
me  their  words  that  they  would  not  breathe  a  syllable 
on  the  subject. 

Their  stay  with  us,  however,  was  not  to  be  of  as  long 
duration  as  we  had  expected,  for  early  next  morning  we 
sighted  a  small  brigantine,  who,  on  being  hailed,  stated 
tliat  she  was  bound  for  Ilong  Kong.  Passages  for  the 
officers  and  their  men  were  soon  arranged,  and,  within 
an  hour  of  picking  her  up  she  had  sent  a  boat,  we  had 
bade  our  naval  visitors  good-bj'e,  and  were  standing  on 
our  fictitious  course  again.  As  soon,  however,  as  they 
were  out  of  sight  the  helm  was  put  up  and  we  were  mak- 
ing a  bee  line  back   to  the  settlement. 

That  evening  as  I  was  pacing  the  deck,  smoking  my 
cigar  and  wondering  when  the  time  would  come  for  me 
to  say  farewell,  I  heard  a  light  footstep  beliind  me,  and 
next  moment  Alie  came  to  my  side.  We  paced  the 
deck  for  a  little  while,  talking  commonjilaccs  .about  the 
beauty  of  the  night,  the  speed  of  her  vessel,  and  the 
visit  of  the  man-of-war's  men  ;  then  she  drew  me  to  the 
stern,  and  said  : 


A  TYPHOON.  205 

"  Do  you  remember  your  first  night  on  board  tliis 
boat,  Avlien  we  discussed  the  sea  and  the  poets  who  have 
written  of  her  ?  " 

"  It  was  the  night  of  the  first  day  I  ever  saw  you," 
I  answered.     "Is  it  likely  I  should  have  forgotten  it  ?  " 

"  Some  men  forget  very  easily,"  slic  answered,  looking 
down  at  the  sparkling  water.  "  But  I'll  do  you  the  jus- 
tice to  say  I  don't  think  you  are  one  of  that  kind." 

"  And  you  are  right  ;  I  am  sure  I  am  not.  I  think  if 
I  were  lying  dead  in  my  grave,  my  brain  would  still 
remember  you." 

She  looked  roguishly  up  into  my  face,  and  said  : 

"  That  is  rather  a  big  assertion  for  a  medical  man 
to  make,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"Bother  medicine,"  I  cried  impatiently.  "It 
reminds  me  of  the  outer  world.  And  by  the  same 
token,  Alie,  I  want  to  ask  you  something  unpleasant 
again." 

"  And  that  is  ?  " 

"  When  I  am  to  say  good-bye  to  you  ?  " 

"To-morrow,"  she  answered.  "To-morrow  night,  all 
being  well,  we  shall  pick  up  a  trading  schooner  off  a  cer- 
tain island.  Her  owner  is  under  au  obligation  to  me, 
and  will  take  you  on  board  and  convey  you  to  Thursday 
Island.  Thence  you  can  travel  home  via  Australia  and 
the  Canal  or  Honolulu  and  America,  as  you  please." 

I  had  expected  that  the  parting  was  not  far  distant, 
bat  I  did  not  think  it  would  prove  as  close  as  this. 
I  told  Alie  as  much. 

"It  .is  the  only  opportunity  that  may  serve,"  she 
answered.  "  And  I  must  not  keep  you  with  me  too 
long  for  your  own  sake." 


206  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

Under  cover  of  the  darkness  I  managed  to  find  and 
take  her  hand. 

"  It  is  only  for  a  year,  Alie.  You  understand  that, 
don't  3'ou  ?  At  the  end  of  a  year  3'ou  are  to  be  my 
wife  ? '' 

"  If  you  still  wish  it,  yes,"  she  answered,  but  so  softly 
that  I  had  to  strain  my  ears  to  catch  it.  Then  with  a 
whispered  good-night  she  slipped  from  me  and  went 
below. 

At  sundown  next  evening,  surely  enough,  a  small  top- 
sail schooner  hove  in  sight  from  behind  an  island,  and, 
seeing  ns,  ran  up  a  signal.  It  was  returned  from  our 
gaflF,  and  as  soon  as  I  read  it  I  knew  that  my  fate  was 
sealed.  Leaving  Walworth  to  see  my  luggage  brought 
up  on  deck  I  w^ent  down  Alie's  companion  ladder  to  bid 
her  farewell.  She  was  seated  on  the  couch  at  the 
further  end,  reading. 

"  The  schooner  has  just  put  in  an  appearance  and 
answered  our  signals,"  I  began,  hardly  able  to  trust  mj' 
voice  to  speak.  "I  have  conie  to  sa}' good-bye.  For 
both  our  sakes  we  must  not  let  this  interview  be  a  long 
one.  Alie,  will  you  tell  me  for  tlie  last  time  exactly 
when  I  am  to  see  j'ou  again,  and  where  ?  " 

"  On  the  first  day  of  May  next  year,  all  being  well,  I 
will  be  at  an  address  in  London,  of  which  I  will  take 
care  to  acquaint  you  beforehand." 

"But  since  j'ou  last  spoke  of  that  I  have  been  think- 
ing it  over.  Alie,  j'ou  must  not  come  to  England,  the 
risk  would  be  too  great  ?  " 

"There  will  be  no  risk  at  all,  and  I  shall  take  every 
precaution  to  ensure  my  own  safety.  You  may  rest 
assured  of  that,"  she  answered.     "But  before  you  go  I 


A  TYPHOON.  207 

have  a  little  keepsake  for  you,  something  that  may  serve 
to  remind  you  of  tlie  Beautiful  White  Devil  and  the 
days  you  have  spent  with  her,  when  you  are  far  away." 

As  she  spoke  she  took  from  the  table,  beside  which 
slie  was  now  standing,  a  large  gold  locket.  Opening  it 
she  let  me  see  that  it  contained  an  excellent  portrait  of 
herself. 

"Oh,  Alie,"  I  cried,  "how  can  I  thank  you?  You 
have  given  me  the  one  thing  of  all  others  that  I  desired. 
Now,  in  my  turn,  I  have  a  present  for  you.  This  ring  " 
(here  I  drew  a  ring  from  my  finger)  "  was  my  poor 
dead  mother's  last  gift  to  me,  and  I  want  you  to 
wear  it." 

I  placed  it  on  her  finger,  and  having  done  so,  took  her 
in  my  arms  and  kissed  her  on  the  lips.  This  time  she 
offered  no  resistance. 

Then  we  said  good-bye,  and  I  went  up  on  deck.  An 
hour  later  tlie  Lone  /S'i'a?*had  faded  away  into  the  night, 
and  I  was  aboard  the  Pearl  Queen  bound  for  Thursday 
Island  and  the  Port  of  London. 

When  I  came  to  think  of  it  I  could  liardly  believe 
that  it  was  nearly  four  months  since  Walworth  had 
found  me  out  in  the  Occidental  Hotel,  Hong  Kong,  and 
induced  me  to  become  the  servant  and  at  the  same  time 
the  lover  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


THE    FIRST    OF   MAY. 


AREivrN"a  in  Thursday  Island,  one  of  the  hottest  and 
quaintest  little  spots  on  earth,  I  was  fortunate  enough 
to  catch  a  British  India  mail  boat  in  the  act  of  start- 
ing for  Brisbane.  I  accordingly  had  my  luggage 
conveyed  to  her  and  was  soon  comfortably  installed 
aboard  her.  The  voyage  from  Torres  Straits,  along  the 
Queensland  coast,  inside  the  Great  Bari-ier  Reef,  though 
it  boasts  on  one  hand  a  rugged  and  almost  continuous 
line  of  cliffs  marked  with  such  names  as  Cape  Despair 
and  Tribulation,  and  upon  the  other  twelve  hundred 
miles  of  treacherous  reef,  is  quite  worth  undertaking.  I 
explored  the  different  ports  of  call,  and,  on  reaching 
Brisbane,  cauglit  the  train  for  Adelaide,  embarked  on 
board  a  P.  and  O.  mail  boat  there,  and  in  less  than  six 
weeks  from  the  time  of  booking  my  passage  was  stand- 
ing in  the  porch  of  my  own  house  in  Cavendish  Square, 
had  rung  the  bell,  and  was  waiting  for  the  front  door  to 
be  opened  to  me. 

It  was  a  cold  winter's  afternoon  ;  an  ic}'  blast  tore 
through  the  Square  and  howled  round  the  various  cor- 
ners, so  that  all  the  folk  whose  inclement  destinies  com- 
pelled them  to  be  abroad  were  hurrying  along  as  if  their 
one  desire  were  to  be  indoors  and  by  their  fires  again 
without  loss  of  time. 

Presently  my  old  housekeeper  opened  the  door,  and, 


THE  FIRST  OF  MAY.  209 

tliougli  I  liad  telegraphed  to  her  from  Naples  to  expect 
me,  pretended  to  be  so  overwhelmed  with  surprise  at  see- 
ing me  as  to  be  incapable  of  speech  for  nearly  a  minute. 
I  managed  to  get  past  her  at  last,  however,  and  went 
into  what,  in  tlie  daj'S  of  my  practice,  had  been  my  con- 
sulting room.  The  fire  was  burning  brightly,  my 
slippers  wore  toasting  before  it,  my  writing  table  was 
loaded  with  books  and  papers  as  usual,  and  a  comfort- 
able easy  chair  was  drawn  up  beside  it.  Everything 
was  exactly  as  I  had  left  it  fourteen  months  before,  even 
to  the  paper  knife  still  resting  in  a  half  cut  book,  and  a 
hastily  scrawled  memo,  upon  the  blotting  pad.  There 
was  something  almost  ironical  about  this  state  of  stag- 
nation when  I  thought  of  the  changes  that  had  occurred 
in  my  own  life  since  last  I  had  used  tliat  knife  and 
written  that  memorandum.  I  told  the  old  housekeeper 
to  let  me  have  my  dinner  at  the  usual  hour,  and  having 
done  so,  asked  her  the  news  of  the  Square.  Iler  reply 
was  not  important. 

"James  [her  husband]  an'  me,  sir,"  she  said,  "  'ad  the 
rheumatiz  at  the  beginning  of  the  winter,  the  young 
postman  with  the  red  whiskers  'ave  got  married  to  the 
parlour  maid  as  burnt  herself  so  bad  three  years  back, 
at  number  99,  and  the  little  gal  witli  the  golden  curls 
across  the  way  fell  down  the  airey  and  broke  her  leg 
two  months  ago  come  next  Friday." 

Such  was  the  chronicle  of  the  most  important  occur- 
rences in  that  quiet  London  Square  during  my  absence. 

After  dinner  I  returned  to  my  stud}^  Avrote  two  or 
three  letters,  and  then  drawing  my  chair  up  to  the  fire, 
sat  down  to  think.  Outside  the  wind  howled  and  the 
rain  dashed  against  my  windows,  but  my  thoughts  were 


210  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

very  far  away  from  Cavendish  Square;  tliey  were  flying 
across  the  seas  to  an  island,  where  lived  a  woman  wliom 
I  had  come  to  love  better  than  all  the  world.  Closing 
my  eyes,  I  seemed  to  see  the  yacht  lying  in  the  little 
harbour  under  the  palm  clad  hills  ;  I  went  ashore, 
threaded  my  way  through  the  tangled  mass  of  jungle, 
and  passed  up  the  path  to  the  bungalow  on  tlie  hillside. 
There  I  found  Alie  moving  about  her  rooms  with  all 
her  old  queenly  grace  ;  then  like  a  flash  the  scene 
changed,  and  we  were  back  on  the  yacht's  deck  in  the 
typhoon.  I  saw  the  roaring  seas  racing  down  upon  us, 
heard  the  wind  whistling  and  shrieking  through  the 
straining  cordage,  noticed  the  broken  bulwarks,  and  by 
my  side,  Alie  in  her  oilskins,  with  her  sou-wester  drawn 
tight  about  her  head,  clinging  to  the  rail  with  every 
atom  of  her  strength.  But  all  that  was  past  and  over, 
and  now  for  twelve  months — nay,  to  be  exact,  eleven, — 
I  was  to  be  the  staid,  respectable  London  householder 
I  had  been  before  I  visited  the  East.  After  that — 
but  there,  wdiat  was  to  happen  after  that,  who  could 
tell? 

After  a  while  the  termination  of  my  pipe  brought  my 
reverie  to  an  end,  so  I  took  up  a  file  of  papers  from  the 
table  and  fell  to  scanning  the  last  few  numbers.  Sud- 
denly a  headline  caught  my  eye  and  rivetted  my  atten- 
tion. It  was  a  clipping  from  a  Ilong  Kong  paper,  and 
read  as  follows  : 

"the  beautiful  white  devil  again." 

"  After  a  silence  of  something  like  four  months  the 
Beautiful  White  Devil  has  again  done  us  the  honour  of 
appearing  in  Eastern  waters.     On   this  occasion,  how- 


THE  FIRST  OF  MAY.  211 

ever,  her  polite  attentions  liave  been  bestowed  upon 
Singapore,  from  which  place  she  has  abducted,  with 
singular  cleverness,  a  young  English  doctor,  wliose  ac- 
quaintance she  had  made  in  Batavia,  and  with  him  a 
certain  well-known  resident  by  name  Ebbington.  These 
two  affairs  were  managed  with  that  dexterity  which  the 
Beautiful  White  Devil  lias  taught  us  to  expect  from  her, 
the  sequel,  liowever,  we  have  yet  to  learn.  Sureh',  and 
we  say  it  for  the  fiftieth  occasion,  it  is  time  some  defi- 
nite steps  were  taken  by  Government  to  bring  about  tlie 
capture  of  a  woman  who,  while  being  a  picturesque  and 
daring  enough  subject  for  a  novel,  has  been  a  continual 
menace  and  danger  to  the  commerce  of  the  East  for  a 
greater  number  of  years  than  the  editorial  chair  cares 
to  reckon." 

I  cut  the  paragraph  out  and,  having  placed  it  in  my 
pocket-book,  turned  to  the  next  issue  published  a  week 
later.  Here  I  found  another  quarter  column  devoted  to 
her  exploits.  This  one  was  also  from  the  Ilong  Kong 
paper  and  ran  as  follows  : 

"  THE   BEAUTIFUL   WHITE    DEVIL's   LATEST   AND 
GREATEST   EXPLOIT. 

"  Last  week  we  described  what  may  be  considered 
two  of  the  cleverest  and  most  daring  exploits  in  the 
whole  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil's  extraordinary 
career.  We  refer  to  the  abduction  of  an  English  doctor, 
travelling  in  the  East  in  order  to  study  Asiatic  diseases, 
and  a  well-known  figure  in  Singapore  societj',  Mr. 
Arthur  James  Ebbington,  whose  bay  ponj',  Cupid,  it 
will  be  remembered,  won  the  Straits  Settlement's  Cup 


212  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

last  year.  The  wliereabouts  of  these  two  gentlemen 
have  not  yet,  so  we  learn,  been  discovered,  but  to  com- 
pensate for  that  we  have  to  chronicle  another,  and 
perhajDS  more  serious,  act  of  violence  on  the  part  of 
this  notorious  character.  The  facts  of  the  case  are  as 
follows  : 

"  On  Saturday  morning  last  the  mail  steamer  Bramah 
left  Singapore  for  Ilong  Kong,  having  on  board  a  num- 
ber of  distinguished  passengers,  including  the  new 
admiral  of  the  China  Station,  Sir  Dominic  Denby,  his 
flag  lieutenant,  Mr.  Hoskin,  and  a  prominent  new 
government  official  for  Hong  Kong,  Mr.  Barkmans- 
worth.  There  were  also  among  the  passengers  six  gen- 
tlemen of  unassuming  appearance,  who,  as  far  as  could 
be  judged,  seemed  to  be  total  strangers  to  each  other. 
The  names  they  booked  under  were,  as  we  find  by  a 
perusal  of  the  shipping  company's  books,  Matherson, 
Calderman,  Burns,  Alderney,  Braham,  and  Balder. 

"  The  first  described  himself  as  a  missionary,  the  sec- 
ond was  presumably  a  tourist,  the  third  a  tea  merchant, 
the  fourth  an  English  newspaper  correspondent,  the 
fifth  an  American  mill  owner,  and  the  sixth  an  Indian 
civilian  on  furlough.  On  Sunday  morning  earl}-,  the 
officer  of  the  watch  sighted  a  sail  some  few  points  olf 
the  starboard  bow.  From  all  appearances  it  was  a  large 
schooner  yacht,  flying  a  distress  signal.  On  nearer 
approach  it  was  seen  that  she  had  suffered  considerable 
damage,  her  topmasts  appearing  to  have  been  carried 
completely  away. 

"On  inquiring  her  name  it  was  elicited  that  she  was 
the  schooner  yacht  Safjittarius,  belonging  to  the  Royal 
Cowes  Yacht  Squadron,  and  owned  by  Lord  Melkard. 


THE  FIRST  OF  JIAY.  213 

the  well-known  Home  Rule  Peer,  who  was  snpposccl,  at 
the  time,  to  be  cruising  in  these  waters.  Suspicion  be- 
ing thus  entirel}''  divertetl,  Captain  Barryman  brouglit 
his  steamer  as  close  as  was  prudent  and  signalled  to  the 
yacht  to  send  a  boat,  which  request  was  immediately 
complied  with,  JMcanwhile,  however,  the  attention  of 
the  officers  on  the  bridge  being  rivetted  on  the  yacht, 
two  of  the  men  before  enumerated,  Matherson  the  mis- 
sionarj',  and  Balder  the  Indian  civilian,  contrary  to 
rules,  made  their  way  on  to  the  bridge  and  implored 
the  captain  and  chief  officer  to  stand  by  the  smaller 
vessel,  which  they  declared  to  be  sinking.  Then  with- 
out Avarning,  on  receiving  a  signal  from  below,  these 
two,  to  all  appearances  eminently  peaceable  gentlemen, 
drew  revolvers  from  their  pockets  and  covered  the  as- 
tonished officers.  Tiie  remaining  members  of  the  gang 
by  this  time  had  posted  themselves  at  the  entrances  to 
the  first  and  second  saloons,  the  engine-room,  and  the 
fo'c's'le,  and  refused  to  allow  anyone  to  come  on  to  or 
to  leave  the  deck. 

"  When  the  boat  came  alongside  Mr.  Barkmansworth, 
the  official  before  described,  who  had  just  had  his  bath 
and  was  completing  his  toilet  in  his  cabin,  was  called  up 
from  below  and  ordered  to  descend  into  her.  After 
some  argument,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  threaten- 
ing, he  complied  with  the  request  and  was  pulled  over 
to  the  yacht.  Once  there,  he  has  seized,  stripped  to 
the  skin,  dragged  up  to  a  triangle,  and  remorselessly 
flogged.  He  was  then  sent  bleeding  and  almost  uncon- 
scious back  to  the  steamer,  Avhere  he  was  immediatel}' 
placed  under  the  doctor's  care.  On  the  return  of  the 
boat  alongside,  the  six  desperadoes,  who  had   all   the 


214  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

time  been  mounting  guard,  as  before  described,  entered 
it  and  were  convej^ed  to  the  yacht,  which  immediately 
steamed  off  in  a  southwesterly  direction. 

"  That  this  last  insult  to  the  Powers-that-Be  Avill 
have  the  result  of  inducing  them  to  take  more  effective 
action  against  this  notorious  woman  is  too  much  to  ex- 
pect. But  with  a  reckless  confidence  somewhat  unusual 
to  us,  we  are  now  pinning  our  faith  'on  the  newly 
arrived  naval  autliority,  the  more  so  as  he  was  himself 
a  witness  of  the  Avhole  disgraceful  affair.  We  can  only 
point  out  one  fact,  and  that  is,  that  unless  this  woman 
be  soon  brought  to  justice,  travelling  by  mail  boat  in 
Eastern  Avaters  will  be  a  thing  of  the  past.  When 
steamers  are  stopped,  and  well  known  and  respected 
government  officials  publicly  flogged  in  mid-ocean,  it  is 
evident  that  affairs  are  coming  to  too  atrocious  a  pass 
altogether." 

Putting  this  criticism  into  ray  pocket-book  with  the 
other,  I  took  a  glimpse  at  my  locket  and  went  to  bed. 

Next  morning,  immediatelj^  after  breakfast,  I  donned 
the  orthodox  top  hat  and  frock  coat  and  set  off  to  walk 
to  South  Kensington  to  call  upon  my  sister  Janet — who, 
by  the  way,  was  a  widow,  her  husband  having  died  of 
malarial  fever  when  with  his  regiment  on  the  west 
coast  of  Africa. 

I  found  her  in  the  morning-room  in  the  act  of  writ- 
ing a  note  of  welcome  to  me.  She  greeted  me  with  all 
her  old  sisterly  affection,  and  when  she  had  done  so, 
made  me  sit  down  before  the  fire  and  tell  her  all  my 
adventures. 

"  We  have  heard  the  most  wonderful  tales  about  you," 


THE  FIRST  OF  MAY.  215 

she  said,  with  a  smile.  "  How  you  were  captured  by  a 
sort  of  female  Captain  Kidd  of  fabulous  beauty,  who 
carried  you  off  to  an  island  in  the  Pacific,  where  you 
were  made  to  dig  sufficient  gold  to  pay  your  ransom." 

"  Indeed  ? " 

"It  has  been  recopied  into  all  sorts  of  papers,"  she 
continued.  "  But  I've  no  doubt  it  was  a  mass  of  mere 
fabrication.     Own  the  truth  now,  wasn't  it  ?" 

"Every  bit,"  I  answered  candidl3^  "I  have  been 
very  much  annoyed  by  those  stupid  newspaper  para- 
graphs. It  is  just  like  the  rabid  craving  of  the  age  for 
sensationalism.  But  before  I  go  any  further,  Janet,  I 
want  to  tell  you  something.     I  am  going  to  be  married." 

"  You  !  George  !  Why,  you  always  used  to  say  you 
had  made  up  your  mitid  never  to  do  anything  so 
foolish." 

"  So  I  did  ;  but  you  see  I  have  changed  my  mind." 

"  So  it  would  appear.  And  now,  who  is  she  ?  Tell 
me  where  you  met  her  and  all  about  her." 

This  was  what  I  dreaded,  but  it  had  to  be  mot  and 
faced. 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,  her  name  is  Alie.  She  is 
twenty-seven  years  of  age  and  an  orphan.  Her  father 
was  a  captain  in  the  English  navy,  but  is  now  dead. 
She  is  very  sweet,  very  accomplished,  and  very  beauti- 
ful ;  and  I  feel  sure,  Janet,  if  only  for  my  sake,  you  will 
offer  her  a  hearty  welcome  when  she  comes  home." 

"  You  know  me  well  enougli  to  be  sure  of  that,  don't 
you,  dear  old  George  ?  And  is  anything  settled  yet  ? 
How  soon  does  she  come  home  ?  and  when  are  you 
going  to  be  married  ?  " 

"  To  your  first  question  I  can  only  answer,  as  soon 


216  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

after  the  first  of  May  as  possible.  On  tbe  first  Alie  will 
arrive  in  England.  Now  will  j'ou  wish  me  hapj^iness, 
Janet?" 

"  Willi  all  my  heart  and  soul.  But  I  am  dying  to 
know  more  ;  tell  me  where  you  met  her,  and  indeed  all 
about  3'our  adventures;  remember,  you  have  been  away 
a  whole  year." 

I  told  her  as  much  as  I  thought  prudent  without  re- 
vealing Alie's  identit}^,  and  when  my  story  was  ended, 
we  sat  chatting  on  till  lunch  time. 

When  I  left  the  house  in  the  afternoon,  I  knew  I  had 
insured  a  kind  reception  for  Alie  when  she  should 
arrive  in  England. 

Nov/  I  must  skip  the  greater  part  of  a  year  and  come 
to  the  middle  of  the  last  week  in  April,  just  three  days, 
in  fact,  before  I  knew  I  might  expect  my  darling.  It 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  tell  you  how  I  spent  the 
time.  I  don't  think  I  know  myself.  I  was  in  such  a 
fever  of  impatience  that  each  minute  seemed  an  hour, 
each  hour  a  day,  and  each  day  a  j'car.  And  the  nearer 
the  time  came  the  greater  became  my  impatience.  I 
even  scanned  the  shipping  lists  with  feverish  earnestness, 
though  I  knew  they  could  not  possibly  tell  me  anything 
I  wanted  to  know. 

At  last  the  evening  of  the  30th  of  April  arrived,  a 
warm  spring  night  with  the  promise  of  a  lovely  morrow. 
I  kept  myself  busily  occui^ied  after  dinner,  and  went 
to  bed  counting  the  hours  till  morning  should  appear. 
But  try  how  I  would  I  could  not  sleep — the  memory  of 
the  joy  that  awaited  me  on  the  morrow  kept  me  Avide 
awake,  devising  plans  for  Alie's  happiness.  Slowly  the 
hours  went  by.     I  heard  one,  two,  three,  four,  and  five 


THE  FIRST  OF  MAY.  217 

o'clock  strike,  and  still  sleep  would  not  come  to  me.  At 
last  I  could  stand  it  no  longer,  so  I  rose,  dressed  myself, 
and  Avent  out  into  the  silent  Square.  Then  I  set  myself 
for  a  walk,  taking  care,  however,  to  return  liome  in 
time  to  receive  my  letters  from  the  postman.  They 
were  three  in  number,  two  from  friends,  the  third  a 
circular,  but  not  one  from  Alie.  The  disappointment 
Avas  almost  more  than  I  could  ^Dear.  But  I  put  it  be- 
hind me,  and  resolved  to  wait  for  the  next  delivery, 
which  would  take  place  about  an  hour  after,  breakfast. 
Again  the  postman  came  round  the  Square — but  this 
time  he  had  nothing  at  all  to  deliver  when  he  reached 
my  door.     Once  more  I  was  disappointed. 

The  morning  rolled  slowly  on  and  lunch  time  came 
and  went  without  any  communication.  The  early  after- 
noon delivery  brought  me  no  news,  and  by  tea  time  I 
had  almost  lost  hope.  Could  Alie  have  forgotten  her 
promise  or  had  she  met  with  an  accident  which  pre- 
vented her  from  coming  ?  The  latter  thought  redoubled 
my  anxiety. 

But  I  had  her  own  assertion  that  she  would  be  in 
England  on  the  first  of  May  and  I  had  never  known  her 
fail  to  keep  her  word.  Just  as  that  thought  passed 
through  my  brain  there  was  a  ring  at  the  bell,  and  a  few 
seconds  later  my  man  brought  up  a  telegram  on  a 
salver.  With  fingers  trembling  with  eagerness  I  tore 
the  envelope  open  and  read  the  following  message  : 

Arrived  this  morning.  Bundaherg  House,  Surbitou.  Come 
quickly.  Alie. 

That  little  slip  of  paper  transformed  my  dismal  world 
into  a  second  heaven.     There  and  then  I  ran  out  of  the 


218  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

room,  gave  the  telegrapli  boy  in  the  porch  half  a  crown 
for  his  trouble,  seized  my  hat  and  stick,  hailed  a  hansom, 
and  bade  the  cabman  drive  me  with  all  possible  speed 
to  Waterloo.  The  man  was  a  smart  whip,  and  as  he 
possessed  a  good  horse  we  covered  the  ground  in  grand 
st3de.  When  we  reached  the  station  I  paid  him  off, 
purchased  my  ticket,  and  ran  on  to  tlie  platform  just 
in  time  to  catch  the  6.15  express.  Punctuall}^  at  five 
and  twenty  minutes  to  seven  I  left  the  train  again  at 
Surbiton,  and  proceeding  into  tlie  station  yard  called 
another  cab. 

"Do  you  know  Bundaberg  House  ? "  I  asked  the  man, 
as  I  took  my  place  in  the  veLicle. 

He  shook  his  head  and  called  to  one  of  his  mates. 

"  Where's  Bundaberg  House,  Bill  ?  " 

"Out  on  the  Portsmouth  Road  nearly  to  Thames 
Ditton,"  was  the  reply.  "  That  big  house  with  the 
long  brick  wall  next  to  Tiller's." 

"  I  know  now,  sir  !  "  said  the  man,  climbing  on  to  his 
box. 

"  Very  well,  then!  An  extra  shilling  if  you  hurry  up," 
I  cried,  and  away  he  went. 

At  the  end  of  a  short  drive  we  pulled  up  before  a 
pair  of  massive  iron  gates.  A  passer  b}'-  threw  them 
open  for  us  and  we  drove  in,  passed  round  a  shrubber}^, 
and  pulled  up  at  the  front  door.  I  paid  the  cabman  off 
and  then,  having  watched  him  drive  down  and  through 
the  gates  again,  rang  the  bell.  Next  moment  the  door 
opened  and  a  trim  maid  servant,  witliout  inquiring  my 
name,  invited  me  to  enter.  Tlie  front  door  opened  on 
to  a  nicely  built  and  furnished  hall  and  from  it  I  ])assed 
into   a  handsome  drawing-room.     It   was  empty  but, 


THE  FIRST  OF  MAY.  219 

before  I  had  time  to  look  round,  the  folding  doors  on 
the  other  side  were  thrown  back  and  Alie  entered  the 
room. 

I  must  leave  }^ou  to  imagine  our  greeting.  I  can  only 
say  that  it  sends  a  tremor  through  me  to  this  day  to 
remember  it.  I  know  tliat  wliile  I  held  Alie,  who 
seemed  more  beautiful  than  ever,  in  my  arms  she 
whispered  : 

"  You  are  still  of  the  same  mind,  George  ?  " 

"Doesn't  this  look  as  if  I  am,  darling  ?  "  I  whispered. 
"Yes,  I  love  you  more  fondly  tlian  ever,  and  I  have 
come  to-night  to  claim  the  fulfilment  of  your  promise." 

"  You  have  been  very  patient,  George  !" 

"It  was  because  I  loved  and  believed  in  3'ou,  Alie  !  " 
I  replied.     "  But  come,  darling,  I  want  my  answer." 

"And  you  shall  have  it,"  she  said  softly.  "There  it 
is!" 

As  she  spoke  she  raised  her  beautiful  white  liand  and 
pointed  to  the  ring  I  had  given  her,  saying  as  she  did 
so,  "  It  has  never  left  my  finger  since  you  placed  it 
there  ! " 

"My  best  of  girls,"  I  cried,  raising  the  little  hand  to 
my  lips  and  kissing  it  fondl}^  "  I  am  the  very  happiest 
man  in  the  world.  And  now  I  must  hear  all  your  doings; 
tell  me  how  3'ou  got  home  ! " 

"  There  is  little  to  tell,"  she  answered.  "  I  followed 
your  route  via  Thursday  Island,  Brisbane,  Svdnej'',  and 
jMelbourne,  I  stayed  in  the  latter  place  for  nearly  a 
month,  and  while  there  advertised  for  a  companion. 
The  result  was  3Irs.  Barker,  a  nice,  amiable  little  person, 
whom  you  will  shortly  see.  When  we  reached  Naples 
I  happened  to  see  an  advertisement  concerning  this 
15 


220  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

furnislied  house  in  an  English  paper,  telegraphed  about 
it,  received  an  answer  in  Paris,  engaged  it,  and  arrived 
here  this  morning." 

"  And  how  did  you  leave  the  settlement  ?  And,  by 
the  way,  where  is  Mr.  '  Beelzebub  '  ?  " 

"The  settlement  was  very  well  when  I  came  awa3^ 
They  Avere  busy  building  the  new  Communal  Hall  I 
used  to  talk  to  you  about.  And  poor  old  Bel  is  left  at 
the  bungalow.  I  was  afraid  he  might  excite  remark 
and  possibly  draw  suspicion  ujjon  me." 

"  Alie,  do  you  think  3'ou  are  safe  in  London  ?  "  I  cried 
in  alarm,  all  ray  old  fears  rushing  back  upon  me  at  the 
mention  of  that  one  word  suspici07i.  "  What  ever 
should  I  do  if  any  one  suspected  you?" 

"  You  need  have  no  fear  on  that  score,  dear,"  my 
intrepid  sweetheart  answered,  "  there  is  no  one  in  Eng- 
land who  could  possibly  recognize  me,  and  the  only 
people  in  the  whole  world  who  could  do  so  are  Vesey  of 
Ilong  Kong,  the  Sultan  of  Suraba5'a,  the  Rajah  of 
Tavoy,  Barkmansworth,  and  that  lieutenant  and  mid- 
shipman. The  first  is  dead  ;  the  second  never  leaves 
his  own  territory,  the  third  is  in  bad  odour  with  the 
English  Government  just  at  present  and  little  likely  to 
come  home.  Barkmansworth  is,  I  presume,  still  in 
llong  Kong,  and  the  lieutenant  and  his  junior  are  with 
their  ship  in  the  China  Sea." 

"  All  the  same,  I  shall  not  be  satisfied  until  we  are 
safely  out  of  Europe  again,  Alie." 

"  You  say  ice,  then  you  mean  to  come  aAvay  with  me, 
George  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  M'ith  whom  else  should  I  go  ?  Ilark  ! 
somebody  is  coming  !  " 


THE  FIRST   OF  MAY.  221 

"  It  is  Mrs.  Barker,  my  duenna.  Xow  Ave  must  be 
matter  of  fact  folk  once  more." 

As  she  spoke,  Mrs.  Barker,  a  dapper  little  lady  with 
silver  gray  hair  and  a  very  pleasant  expression,  entered 
the  room. 

"  Let  me  introduce  Dr.  De  Normanville  to  you,"  said 
Alie,  rising  from  her  chair  and  going  forward  to  meet 
her.     "  Dr.  De  Nornianville,  Mrs.  Barker." 

I  bowed  and  Mrs.  Barker  did  the  same,  then  we  went 
in  to  dinner.  What  happened  during  that  very  pleasant 
meal,  how  Mrs.  Barker  found  occasion  to  require  some- 
thing from  her  bedroom  afterwards,  and  so  left  us  alone 
in  the  drawing-room  together,  I  need  not  relate  ;  suffice 
it  that  when  I  got  home  about  twelve  o'clock  I  was  the 
happiest,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  most  nervous,  man 
in  England. 

Xext  morning  I  called  for  Janet  and,  willy  nilly, 
carried  her  off  there  and  then  to  call  on  Alie.  We 
found  her  walking  in  her  garden,  which  led  down  to  the 
rivei",  and  I  must  be  excused  if  I  say  that,  proud  as  I 
was  of  my  darling,  I  was  infinitely  prouder  as  I  noticed 
the  look  of  astonishment  and  admiration  that  came  into 
Janet's  face  when  she  was  introduced  to  hex*.  Alie's 
radiant  beauty  "and  charming  manners  were  irresistible, 
and  before  they  had  been  together  half  an  hour  the  two 
women  were  on  the  best  of  terms.  It  was  Alie's  earnest 
desire  that  we  should  remain  to  luncheon,  and  she  herself 
walked  to  the  railway  station  with  us  when  we  at  last 
took  our  dejjarture. 

"  Now,  what  do  j^ou  think  of  my  sweetheart?"  I 
asked,  as  we  steamed  out  of  the  station. 

"  I  think  that  she  is  a  very  beautiful  and  charming 


222  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

girl,"  was  my  sister's  immediate  reply,  "  and,  if  I  know 
anytliing  of  my  sex,  she  is  as  good  as  she's  beautifuh" 

This  pleased  me,  as  you  may  be  sure,  and  when  Janet 
went  on  to  tell  me  that  she  had  invited  Alie  and  Mrs, 
Barker  to  spend  a  few  days  with  her,  and  that  tlie  visit 
would  commence  the  following  afternoon,  my  opinion 
of  my  sister's  kindness  became  even  more  exaggerated 
than  before. 

And  so  that  week  went  by,  and  another  after  it,  till 
Alie  had  thoroughly  settled  down  among  us  and  nearly 
all  the  preparations  for  our  wedding  were  complete. 
By  that  time,  3'ou  ma}'^  be  sure,  she  had  Avon  golden 
opinions  on  every  side.  On  each  occasion  that  I  saw 
Janet  slie  was  more  and  more  profuse  in  her  praises  of 
her,  until  I  had  really  to  tell  her  that  unless  she  moder- 
ated them  a  little  I  should  soon  become  insufferably 
conceited  about  my  good  fortune. 

One  morning,  when  I  was  beginning  to  think  of  get- 
ting up,  the  following  note  was  brought  to  me  with  my 
shaving  water.  It  was  from  my  sister,  and  had  evi- 
dently been  written  the  previous  evening  : 

South  Kensington,  Monday  Evening. 
Deak  Old  George : 

I  have  succeeded  in  hidueing  Alie  and  INIrs.  Barker  to  prolong 
their  visit  to  me  until  Saturday.  Ou  AVednesday  evening  we 
hope  to  witness  the  new  play  at  Drur\'^  Lane.  Alie,  you  know, 
has  never  seen  a  spectacular  melodrama.  We  sliall  of  course 
want  a  gentleman  to  escort  us.  Would  you  care  for  the  position, 
or  must  we  look  elsewhere  ?  On  that  occasion  we  dine  at  6.30, 
and,  unless  I  hear  from  you  to  the  contrary,  I  shall  lay  a  place 
for  you. 
In  haste. 

Your  affectionate  sister, 

Janet. 


THE  FIRST  OF  MAY.  223 

Need  it  be  said  tliat  I  accepted  ?  or  that  on  Wednes- 
day evening  I  was  proud  of  my  charges  as  tlic}'  took 
their  seats  in  the  box  Janet  had  been  at  some  pains  to 
secure  ? 

The  house  was  packed  from  pit  to  gallery,  and  I 
noticed  that  more  than  one  glass  was  levelled  at  the 
beautiful  girl  who  took  her  place  at  Janet's  side  in  the 
front  of  the  box.  Alie  herself,  however,  seemed  quite 
unconscious  of  the  admiration  she  excited,  and  through- 
out tiie  piece  kept  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  stage  witii 
never  failing  earnestness.  What  the  play  was  I  have 
not  the  very  vaguest  recollection. 

In  the  middle  of  the  first  act  I  noticed  that  three 
gentlemen  entered  the  box  opposite  us,  and  from  the 
vociferous  nature  of  their  applause,  gathered  tliat  they 
had  evidently  been  dining,  not  wiselv,  but  too  well. 
After  a  wiiile  their  glasses  were  so  continually  brought 
to  bear  on  our  box  that  I  began  to  feel  myself,  foolishly 
enough,  becoming  excessively  anno^-ed.  The  face  of 
one  of  them  struck  me  as  familiar,  and  during  the  next 
interval,  seeing  that  they  had  left  their  box,  I  made  an 
excuse  and  went  out  to  endeavour  to  discover  who  he 
was  and  where  I  had  seen  his  face  before.  For  a  little 
while  I  was  unsuccessful  in  my  search,  then,  just  as  the 
next  act  was  commencing,  I  turned  a  corner  and 
almost  ran  into  their  arms.  The  man  whose  face  I  had 
been  puzzling  about  was  furthest  from  me,  but  I  knew 
him  instantly.  It  loas  JBarkmansioorth!  My  heart 
seemed  to  stand  still  with  terror,  and  when  I  recovered 
my  wits  he  was  gone. 

What  was  I  to  do?  I  dared  not  tell  Alie  before  my 
sister  and  Mrs.  Barker,  and  yet  I  knew,  if  Barkmaus- 


224  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

worth  had  recognised  her,  not  an  instant  must  be  lost  in 
getting  her  out  of  harm's  way.  For  a  moment  I  stood 
in  the  vestibule  feeling  more  sick  and  giddy  than  I  have 
ever  felt  before  or  since,  and  all  the  time  trying  vainly 
to  think  how  to  act.  Then,  when  I  took  my  seat  again 
and  saw  that  the  occupants  of  the  box  opposite  had  left, 
I  resolved  to  put  off  all  consideration  of  the  matter  for 
that  evening  and  to  call  and  tell  Alie  first  thing  in  the 
morning.  Oh,  that  little  bit  of  indecision  !  How  fatal 
were  its  consequences  ! 

When  I  had  conveyed  my  fair  charges  home  I  made 
a  severe  headache  an  excuse,  and  bidding  them  good- 
night, set  off  on  foot  for  my  own  abode.  But  my 
brain  was  too  full  of  anxiety  to  entertain  any  idea  of 
bed,  so,  turning  off  from  the  direct  route,  I  wandered 
down  to  the  Green  Park  and  on  to  the  Embankment, 
thence  through  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields  to  Oxford  Street, 
and  so  round  to  Cavendish  Square.  By  the  time  I  let 
myself  into  my  house  it  was  nearly  three  o'clock  and 
a  beautiful  morning.  Passing  along  the  hall,  I  went  into 
my  consulting  room  and  lit  the  gas.  A  letter  lay  upon 
the  table,  addressed  in  my  sister's  handwriting,  and 
marked  "Immediate."  With  a  sickening  fear  in  my 
heart,  I  tore  it  open  and  read  : 

Dear  George  : 
Come  to  me  at  ouce,  without  an  instant's  delay.    Alie  has  been 

arrested. 

Your  frantic  sister, 

Janet. 

The  blow  had  fallen !  My  little  shirking  of  an 
unpleasant  duty  had  ruined  the  woman  I  loved.     Oh, 


THE   FIRST   OF   MAY,  225 

how  bitterly  I  reproached  myself  for  my  delay  in  report- 
ing my  discovery.  But  if  I  had  hesitated  then,  I  did 
not  do  so  now.  A  second  or  two  later  I  had  let  mj^self 
out  again  and  was  off,  as  fast  as  I  could  go,  on  my  way 
back  to  South  Kensington. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

REMAXDED. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  misery  of  that  walk  back 
from  Cavendish  Square  to  South  Kensington ;  I  seemed 
to  be  tramping  for  ever,  and  all  the  time  tbe  words  "  Alie 
has  been  arrested  !  "  "  Alie  lias  been  arrested  !  "  were 
singing  and  drumming  in  my  ears  witli  relentless  reitera- 
tion, Wlien  I  readied  tlie  house  the  sun  was  above  tlie 
roof  tops  and  I  was  wearied  almost  to  tlie  point  of  drop- 
ping. I  rang  the  bell,  and  the  peal  bad  not  died  away 
before  poor,  hcavy-e^'ed  Janet  had  opened  the  door  to 
me.  Without  a  word  she  led  me  into  her  morning- 
room,  the  room  where  I  had  first  told  her  of  my  love 
for  Alie,  and,  having  made  me  sit  down,  would  not  let 
me  speak  imtil  I  had  partaken  of  some  refreshment.  I 
filled  my  glass,  but  pushed  my  plate  away  from  me  ;  I 
could  drink,  but  I  was  far  too  miserable  to  eat. 

"Janet,"  I  cried,  "for  Heaven's  sake  tell  me,  as 
quickly  as  you  can,  all  that  has  happened  !  " 

"  My  poor  George,"  she  said  ;  "  as  I  told  you  in  my 
note,  Alie  has  been  arrested.  You  had  not  left  the 
house  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  two  men 
called  and  asked  to  be  allowed  to  see  me  on  most  impor- 
tant business.  They  were  shown  in  here  and,  when  we 
were  alone,  requested  permission  to  see  Alie.  I  went  to 
fetch  her  and  brought  her  down  with  me.  Then  one  of 
the  men  advanced  towards  her  with  a  paper  in  his  hand 

226 


REMANDED.  227 

and  said 'Alio  Dunbar,  in  the  Queen's  name  I  arrest 
you  on  a  charge  of  piracy  upon  the  High  Seas.'  Oh  ! 
it  was  horrible,  and  I  can  see  it  all  now  !  " 

"  xVnd  what  did  my  poor  girl  say  ?" 

"Xothing  !  She  was  just  as  calm  and  collected  as  she 
always  is.  She  simply  took  the  paper  from  the  man's 
liand  and  looked  at  it,  after  which  she  said:  'There 
must  be  some  mistake;  however,  you  are  only  doing  your 
dut}',  I  suppose.  Where  do  you  wish  to  take  me?' 
'  To  Scotland  Yard  first,  madam,'  the  man  said,  *  then 
on  to  Bow  Street.'  Hearing  that,  Alie  turned  to  me, 
and  putting  her  arms  round  my  neck,  said  :  'You  will 
soften  this  blow  as  much  as  you  can  for  George,  won't 
you,  Janet  ?  '  and  then  announced  that  as  soon  as  she 
had  changed  her  dress,  and  procured  her  hat  and  cloak, 
she  would  be  ready  to  accompany  them.  These  changes 
in  her  costume  she  was  permitted  to  make,  and,  when 
they  were  accomplished,  we  set  off,  but  not  before  I  had 
Avritten  that  note  to  you.  We  expected  you  would 
follow  us  at  once,  and  be  able  to  arrange  the  matter 
of  bail." 

"  I  did  not  get  your  letter  until  after  three  o'clock. 
I  was  in  such  a  strange  state  of  mind  last  night  that  I 
went  for  a  long  walk  after  leaving  you,  Janet,  it  is  all 
my  fault.  Did  you  notice  those  men  in  the  box  opposite 
us  at  Drury  Lane  ?  If  so,  you  ma}"  have  observed  that 
tlicy  continually  stared  at  Alie  through  their  glasses?" 

"  I  did  notice  them,  and  ver}'^  ill-bred  fellows  I  thought 
tlicm.  I  think  Alie  must  have  thought  so  too  !  But 
what  have  they  to  do  with  this  matter  ?" 

"  Why,  the  man  at  the  back  of  the  box  was  none  other 
than  the  person  mentioned  in  that  last  newspaper  para- 


223  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

graph  about  tlie  Beautiful  White  Devil.  He  was  the 
man,  Bavkmansworth,  in  fact,  whom  the  Beautiful 
White  Devil  took  from  the  mail  boat  and  flogged  in 
mid-ocean," 

"  But  what  has  this  to  do  with  Alie  ?" 

"  Why,  simply  that, — no  there  can  be  no  shirking  it 
now,  it  must  come  out,  and  I  know  it  is  perfectly  safe 
for  me  to  tell  you, — simply,  Janet,  because  Alie  is  the 
Beautiful  White  Devil." 

"  Oh,  George,  my  dear  old  brother  ;  is  this  terrible 
thing  true  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  ti'ue,  Janet  ! " 

"  And  you,  of  all  men,  were  going  to  marry  the  Beauti- 
ful White  Devil  ?" 

"  Don't  say  '  were,'  say  *  are '  !  Janet,  it  is  only  half- 
past  five  now.  An  hour  and  a  half  must  elapse  before 
I  can  do  any  good  at  the  police  station.  If  j^ou  will 
listen  I  will  tell  you  the  story  of  Alie's  singular  life, 
and  how  I  became  mixed  up  with  her.  Then,  remem- 
bering what  you  have  seen  of  her  yourself,  you  will  be 
able  to  judge  what  sort  of  woman  the  Beautiful  White 
Devil  really  is  !  " 

Thereupon  I  set  to  work  and  told  her  all  my  adven- 
tures. I  described  Alie's  father's  treatment  by  his 
government  ;  his  setting  up  a  kingdom  for  himself  in 
the  Pacific  ;  the  events  which  followed  his  death  and 
Alie's  accession  to  the  throne  ;  the  feud  between  her- 
self and  the  Eastern  Governments  ;  her  acts  of  justice 
and  retribution  ;  the  outbreak  of  small-pox  in  her  settle- 
ment, and  her  sending  for  me  ;  what  I  saw  on  the 
island,  and  how  I  first  came  to  love  her.  It  was  a  long 
stor}',  and  by  the  time  I  had  finished  it  was  nearly  seven 


REMANDED.  229 

o'clock.  Then  I  looked  at  Janet,  and  found  big  tears 
standing  in  her  eyes. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil 
now  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  think  that,  come  what  may,  George,  wc  must  save 
her." 

"  Of  course  Ave  must,  and  now  I'm  going  off  to  see 
her.     May  I  give  her  any  message  from  you  ?  " 

"  Give  her  my  fondest  love,  and  tell  her  that,  come 
what  may,  she  shall  be  saved." 

"  It  will  cheer  her  to  know  that,  in  spite  of  what  has 
happened,  you  believe  in  her.     Good-bye  !  " 

"  Good-bye,  my  poor  George." 

I  left  the  house,  and  hurrying  down  to  Gloucester 
Road,  took  the  underground  train  for  the  Temple,  walk- 
ing thence  to  Bow  Street.  On  entering  the  police  station 
I  asked  to  see  the  officer  in  charge.  To  tliis  grim  offi- 
cial I  stated  the  nature  of  my  business,  and  begged  to 
be  permitted  an  interview  with  his  prisoner.  This  he 
granted  with  a  very  civil  grace  ;  the  jailer  was  accord- 
ingly called  and  I  was  led  down  a  long  corridor. 

"  Seeing  that  she  is  a  lady,"  that  official  said,  as  he 
unlocked  a  door  on  the  right,  "  we  have  given  her  a 
somewhat  better  room  than  we  usually  allow  our 
prisoners.  I  have  orders  to  permit  you  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  together." 

He  opened  the  door  and  I  went  in.  With  a  little  cry 
of  joy,  Alie,  who  had  been  sitting  on  a  sofa  at  the  fur- 
ther end,  sprang  to  her  feet  and  ran  towards  me,  crying 
as  she  did  so: 

"  Oh,  George,  dear,  I  knew  you  would  come  to  me  as 
soon  as  you  could." 


230  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

I  took  her  in  mj  arras  and  kissed  her  again  and  again  ; 
her  dear  eyes  were  flooded  with  tears  when  I  released 
her,  but  she  brushed  tliem  away  and  tried  to  look  brave 
for  m}^  sake.  Then  I  led  her  back  to  the  sofa  and  sat 
down  beside  her. 

"Alie,"  I  said  softly,  "  this  is  all  my  fault.  I  saw 
Barkmansworth  at  Drury  Lane  last  night  and  ought  to 
have  warned  you.  I  intended  to  have  done  so  this 
morning,  but  it  was  too  late." 

"  Hush  !  "  she  answered,  "  3'ou  must  not  blame  your- 
self. I,  too,  recognised  him  last  night  and  should  have 
spoken  to  you  about  it  to-da}'.  It  is  too  late  noio,  as 
you  say." 

"  Can  nothing  be  done,  Alie  ?  " 

"I  cannot  say  3'et.  1  have  been  too  much  upset 
since  my  arrival  here  to  think.  But  you  must  find  me 
a  lawyer  at  once,  George,  who  will  defend  me  at  the 
preliminary  examination,  and  if  it  looks  as  if  the  case 
will  go  against  me  3"ou  must  find  some  means  by  which 
I  can  escape." 

"Escape?  Alie,  you  do  not  realise  how  impossible 
that  is." 

"Nothing  is  impossible  when  one  has  brains  enough 
to  devise  a  plot  and  sufficient  mone}'  to  work  it  out." 

"If  I  could  only  feel  as  you  do  about  it.  But  have 
you  any  scheme  to  suggest?" 

"  Not  yet,  but  I  sliall  devote  ni}'  whole  attention  to  it 
and  it  will  go  hard  with  me  if  I  cannot  hit  on  some- 
thing. Would  you  have  the  courage  to  dare  very  much 
for  my  sake,  George  ?  " 

"  I  Avould  dare  anything  under  the  sun  for  you,  Alie, 
and   though   you   asked  me  such  a  question,  I  do  not 


REMANDED.  231 

think  you  feel  any  doubt  as  to  what  answer  I  would 
give," 

''I  bad  no  doubt.  Do  not  think  that.  And  now, 
George,  tell  me  what  j'our  sister  says,  now  that  she 
knows  who  I  am  ?" 

"Janet  is  more  3'our  friend  than  ever.  I  told  her 
your  story  this  morning,  and  slie  bade  me  give  you  her 
love  and  tell  you  we  would  save  you  3'et." 

Again  the  tears  rose  in  Alie's  eyes. 

"  What  will  the  East  say  when  it  liears  that  the 
Beautiful  ^Yhite  Devil  is  caught  at  last?" 

"  I  don't  know,  and  I  don't  care.  One  thing  I'm  cer- 
tain of,  however,  and  that  is  that  I  should  like  to  have 
live  minutes  with  Mr.  Barkmansworth  alone.  I  think 
then  he'd  know  that " 

But  what  I  was  going  to  say  was  interrupted  by  the  en- 
trance of  the  officer  who  had  brought  me  to  the  room. 

"  Time's  up,  I'm  sorry  to  say,  sir." 

I  rose  immediately  and  turned  to  say  good-bye  !  Be- 
ing a  good-hearted  fellow,  the  man  left  us  alone  together 
for  another  moment,  and  during  that  time  I  was  able  to 
whisper  an  assurance  to  my  sweetheart  that  no  stone 
should  be  left  unturned  to  secure  her  release.  Then 
bidding  her  be  of  good  cheer,  I  passed  out,  feeling 
as  if  the  bolts  clanging  behind  me  were  closing  on 
my  heart. 

It  was  well  after  eight  o'clock  before  I  left  Bow  Street 
and  turned  homewards  ;  the  shops,  in  most  cases,  had 
their  shutters  down,  but  though  I  looked  for  a  news- 
paper board,  it  was  some  time  before  I  sighted  one. 
Then  for  the  first  time  I  saw  the  headline  I  had  been 
dreading: : 


232  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  Sensational  Arrest  of  the  JVotorious  Beautiful  White 
Deviir 

I  stopped  and  bouglit  a  paper  and  then  continued  my 
journey,  pausing  at  a  telegraph  office  to  send  a  wire  to 
my  old  chum,  Brandwon,  in  whicli  I  asked  him,  as  he 
valued  our  friendship,  to  come  to  me  without  a  moment's 
delay.  "When  I  got  home  I  changed  my  clothes — had 
a  cold  hath,  which  restored  me  somewhat,  and  then 
ordered  breakfast,  Avhich  I  felt  I  could  not  toucli,  and 
while  it  was  preparing,  sat  down  to  read  the  account  of 
the  arrest.  It  was  but  a  short  report  and  published  the 
barest  details. 

Nine  o'clock  had  just  struck  when  a  cab  drew  up  at 
the  door  and  Brandwon  jumped  out.  I  opened  the 
front  door  to  him  myself,  and,  as  I  did  so,  felt  as  if  we 
were  one  step  at  least  on  the  road  to  Alie's  release. 

"Look  here,  my  friend,"  he  said,  as  I  led  him  across 
the  ball  to  my  dining-room.  "  This  is  all  very  well, 
3'ou  know,  but  what  in  the  name  of  fortune  makes  you 
send  for  me  at  this  unearthly  hour.  Have  you  poisoned 
a  patient  and  find  yourself  in  need  of  nie  to  square 
matters,  or  have  you  been  jilted  and  hoj^e  to  bring  an 
action  for  the  damage  done  to  j'our  broken  heart?  Out 
with  it.  Bat  forgive  my  chaff  if  it's  anything  more 
serious." 

He  must  have  seen  by  my  face  that  something  was 
verv  wrong,  for  his  jocular  manner  suddenly  left  him 
and  he  sat  down  all  seriousness. 

"  There  is  something  very  much  the  matter.  Brand- 
won,"  I  said  ;  "  read  that  !  " 

I  handed  him  the  morning  paper  and  pointed  to  the 
paragraph  detailing  the  arrest.     He  read  it  through  and 


REMANDED.    ^  233 

then,  seating  himself  at  the  breakfast  table,  poured  him- 
self out  a  cup  of  coffee  and  buttered  a  piece  of  toast, 
before  he  spoke.  When  he  did  so,  he  said  solemn!}^,  "  I 
think  I  understand.  You  are  interested  in  this  lady  and 
want  rae  to  undertake  her  defence — is  that  so  ?  " 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  want.  I  was  at  my  wit's 
end  to  know  what  to  do,  when  suddenly  it  flashed 
through  my  brain,  '  Send  for  Edward  Brandwon.'  I 
sent  that  wire  accordingly,  and  here  j'ou  are.  If  there 
is  au}^  man  living  who  can  save  the  woman  I  love,  you 
are  he." 

"  I'll  do  my  best,  j'ou  may  be  sure,  for  your  sake,  old 
boy.     Now,  wliere  is  she?" 

"At  Bow  Street.  She  is  to  be  brought  before  the 
court  tliis  morning  at  twelve  o'clock." 

He  took  out  his  watch  and  looked  at  it. 

"  Well,  I've  none  too  much  time.  I'll  go  down  and 
have  an  interview  Avith  her  at  once.  Keep  up  j'our 
heart,  old  chap,  we'll  do  our  best  and  nobody  can  do 
more  ! " 

I  wrung  his  hand,  and  then,  hailing  a  cab,  he  jumped 
into  it  and  set  off  for  the  police  station. 

Long  before  twelve  o'clock  I  was  in  the  court,  waiting 
for  the  examination  to  come  on.  The  news  of  the  case 
must  have  gone  abroad,  for  the  hall  was  densely  packed 
with  people  anxious  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  famous 
Beautiful  Wiiite  Devil,  whose  exploits  were  almost  as 
well  known  in  England  as  in  the  East.  Every  rank  of 
life  seemed  to  be  represented  and,  Avhen  the  magistrate 
took  his  seat  on  the  bench,  I  noticed  that  the  chairs  on 
either  side  of  him  were  occupied  by  two  illustrious  per- 
sonages   whose   dignity   should   have   prevented   them 


234  THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE   DEVIL. 

from  giving  such  an  exhibition  of  idle  curiosity.  Seeing 
the  rush  there  was  to  stare  at  m}^  poor  unfortunate 
sweetlieart,  I  coukl  have  found  it  in  my  lieart  to  hit  out 
like  a  madman  at  those  round  me. 

Precisely  at  twelve  o'clock  the  door  on  the  right  hand 
side  of  the  court  opened  and  Alie  stepped  into  tlie  hall 
and  ascended  the  iron  dock.  Slie  walked  witli  her  usual 
queenl}^  step,  held  her  head  high,  and  when  she  reached 
her  place,  looked  proudly  round  the  ding}^  hall.  Such 
was  the  effect  of  her  wonderful  beauty  upon  those  pres- 
ent, that,  despite  the  efforts  of  the  officers  of  the  court 
to  prevent  it,  a  loud  buzz  of  admiration  came  from  the 
spectators.  She  Avas  dressed  entirel}''  in  black,  a  colour 
which,  as  I  have  said  before,  displayed  her  white  skin 
and  beautiful  hair  to  the  very  best  advantage.  Having 
taken  her  place,  she  bowed  politely  to  the  presiding 
magistrate,  who  returned  her  salute,  and  then  the  ex- 
amination commenced.  The  first  proceeding  Avas  for 
the  police  to  make  a  statement  of  their  case  to  the  court. 
It  was  then  shown  that,  although  a  Avarrant  had  long 
been  out  for  her  arrest,  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  had 
evaded  justice  for  many  years.  Indeed,  it  Avas  only 
for  the  reason  that  information  had  been  supplied  to 
the  London  police  Avithin  the  last  few  days,  that  they 
had  become  aAvare  that  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  had 
left  the  East  and  arrived  in  England.  Inquiries  were 
instantly  made,  and  on  the  strength  of  them  the  pris- 
oner now  in  the  dock  had  been  arrested.  They,  the 
police,  did  not  propose  to  call  Avitnesses  at  this  prelimi- 
nary hearing,  but  Avould  merely  ask  that  the  informa- 
tion should  be  read  over,  the  evidence  of  arrest  given, 
and  then  a  remand  o-vanted  in  order  that  the  arrival  of 


REMANDED.  235 

an  officer  from  Singapore  might  be  awaited  and  further 
inquiries  made. 

At  this  point  Brandwon  rose  to  his  feet,  and,  adopt- 
ing a  quiet,  sober  attitude  of  respectful  remonstrance, 
begged  to  be  allowed  to  place  before  the  court  what  he 
considered  and  would  unhesitatingly  call  a  deliberate 
and  cruel  injustice.  He  pointed  out  the  small  likelihood 
there  was  of  the  charge  being  true,  he  dilated  upon  the 
facts  of  Alie's  arrival  from  Australia,  of  her  quiet,  lady- 
like demeanour,  spoke  of  Ler  impending  marriage  with 
a  gentleman,  a  personal  friend  of  his  own,  well  known 
and  universally  respected  in  London,  and  brought  his 
remarks  to  a  close  by  declaring  it  a  monstrous  thing 
that,  in  this  nineteenth  centurN'-  and  in  this  land  of 
which  we  pretend  to  be  so  proud,  it  should  be  within 
the  power  of  a  public  body  like  the  police,  without  a 
tittle  of  evidence  at  their  back  to  bear  their  case  out,  to 
brinjx  so  shameful  a  charge  aofainst  an  innocent  ffirl,  who 
might  possibly  have  to  Suffer  from  the  effects  of  it  all 
her  life.  He  would  not  ask  the  court  to  consent  to  a 
remand  ;  on  the  contrary',  he  would  ask  His  AVorship  to 
dismiss  tlie  case  altogether,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to 
issue  a  stinging  and  well-merited  rebuke  to  the  police 
for  their  officiousness  and  quite  uncalled-for  action  in 
the  matter. 

Clever  and  impressive  as  his  liarangue  was,  it,  how- 
ever, failed  utterly  in  its  purpose.  The  magistrate  had 
evidently  carefully  considered  the  case  beforehand  and 
determined  upon  his  course  of  action.  The  decision 
given,  therefore,  was  "remanded  for  a  Aveek.  Bail 
refused." 

I  saw  Alie  bow  gravely  to  the  court,  the  policeman 
IG 


236  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

open  the  door  of  the  dock,  and  a  moment  later,  feeling 
quite  sick  and  gidd}^  I  Avas  in  the  throng  leaving  the 
court.  By  the  time  I  reached  the  street  ni}"  darling  was 
on  her  way  to  Holloway. 

That  afternoon,  at  three  o'clock,  Janet  and  I  drove  out 
to  the  prison,  and,  having  shown  our  authorities,  were 
instantly  conducted  to  the  room  in  which  prisoners  are 
permitted  to  interview  their  friends. 

What  the  two  women  I  loved  best  in  the  world  said 
to  each  other  during  that  interview  I  cannot  remember. 
I  only  know  that  Janet  kissed  Alie  and  cried  over  her, 
and  that  Alie  received  it  all  with  that  gentle  gracious- 
ness  which  was  so  wonderfully  becoming  to  her.  When 
we  had  discussed  the  events  which  had  led  up  to  the 
arrest,  1  asked  Alie  if  she  were  quite  comfortable. 

"  Perfectly,"  she  answered.  "  My  cell  is  by  no  means 
an  unpleasant  one,  I  have  some  books  and  writing 
materials,  and  I  have  arranged  to  have  my  meals 
brought  in  to  me  from  a  restaurant  outside." 

"What  did  you  think  of  Brandwon's  speech  this 
morning  ?  "  I  then  asked  her. 

*'  1  thought  it  very  clever  and  impressive,"  she 
answered,  "  but  I  was  not  surprised  when  it  proved  of 
no  avail.  No  !  There  is  very  little  chance  as  far  as  I 
can  see.  In  a  month  the  officer  from  Singapore  will  be 
in  London,  and,  unless  something  happens  to  prevent  it, 
I  shall  be  sent  out  East  to  stand  my  trial." 

"  Something  must  prevent  it,"  whispered  Janet. 

"  But  what  ?  You  cannot  escape  so  easily  in  England, 
I  find,"  she  answered.  "  These  stone  walls  are  very 
Strong  and  the  discipline  is  so  perfect." 

♦'  But   tell   rae,  Alie,"  I  broke  in,  *'  what  Brandwon 


REMANDED.  237 

thinks  of  your  chance.  You  have  of  course  tokl  him 
everything  ?  " 

"  He  says  my  only  hope  is  their  not  being  able  to 
prove  identity.  Barkraansworth's  evidence  unsupported 
will  not  go  for  very  much,  ho  thinks,  and,  Ebbington 
and  Vesey  being  dead,  there  only  remain  the  two  native 
princes,  and  the  man-of-war's  men  Avho  by  chance  may 
not  be  called,     I  fear  it  is  a  hopeless  business,  however." 

"  No  !  No  !  You  must  not  think  that.  Be  sure 
we  will  find  a  way  to  get  you  off.  Trust  us."  Then 
dropping  my  voice,  "  And  if  we  can't  do  it  legally  we'll 
do  it,  illegally." 

"  You  must  run  no  risk  for  my  sake,  George  ;  I  could 
not  allow  that." 

"If  only  Walworth  were  here.  His  wit  would  hit  on 
something." 

"  Walworth  unfortunately  is  ten  thousand  miles  away. 
So  it  is  no  use  thinking  of  him.  But  see,  here  is  the 
warder — your  time  is  up.  Good-bye,  dear  Janet.  I  pray 
that  you  may  find  it  in  your  heart  to  forgive  me  for 
having  brought  this  trouble  upon  you." 

But  Janet,  who  by  this  time  had  learned  to  love  this 
fascinating  girl  with  all  her  heart,  would  listen  to  no 
such  talk.  When  the  door  opened,  like  the  khid  sister 
she  was,  she  went  out  first,  thus  permitting  us  an  oppor- 
tunity of  saying  farewell  alone.  When  I  joined  her 
again  I  had  a  little  note  in  my  waistcoat  pocket  that 
seemed  somehow  to  make  mc  a  happier  man  than  I  had 
been   for  hours  past. 

From  the  prison  I  drove  Janet  to  her  own  house  and 
then  went  back  to  Cavendish  Square. 

When  I  had  dismissed  the  cabman  I  let  myself  in  and 


238  THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE  DEVIL. 

proceeded  to  my  consulting  room.  Opening  the  doorj  I 
walked  in,  only  to  come  to  a  sudden  halt  before  a  man 
sitting  in  my  own  armchair,  lie  was  small  and  queerly 
built,  wore  a  long  coat  that  reached  nearly  to  his  heels, 
had  gra}''  liair,  a  ferociously  curled  moustache,  and  a  short, 
closely  cropped  white  beard.  The  effect,  wlien  he 
looked  at  me  over  the  edge  of  the  paper  he  was  i^erusing, 
was  most  comical.  For  a  moment  I  stood  bewildered, 
but  I  was  destined  to  be  even  more  so  when  he  rose  and 
came  toward  me,  holding  out  his  hand,  and  sajnng  : 

"  Bon  jour,  Monsieur  !  "  Then  in  broken  English, 
"  Pray,  do  you  not  remember  your  very  old  friend  ?  " 

I  thought  and  thought,  but  for  the  life  of  me  could 
not  recollect  ever  having  seen  his  face  before.  I  was 
about  to  speak  when  he  stopped  me,  and  changing  his 
voice  said  in  excellent  English  : 

"No!  lean  see  you  don't."  Then  pulling  off  his 
wig  :  "  Well  !     Do  you  now  ?  " 

It  was  Walworth/ 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

PLOTTING   AXD    PLANNING. 

Directly  I  realised  wlio  my  guest  was,  I  rushed 
forward  and  seized  his  liand  with  a  show  of  delight 
greater  than,  I  believe,  I  liave  ever  felt  at  meeting  a 
man  before  or  since.  If  I  had  been  given  the  pick 
of  all  men  in  the  Avorkl  at  that  particular  juncture 
in  my  life's  history,  I  believe  I  should  have  declared 
for  him. 

"  We  had  no  idea  that  you  were  in  England,"  I  said 
when  the  first  excitement  had  somewhat  subsided. 
"  Both  Alie  and  I  thought  you  Avere  ten  thousand 
miles  away.  You  have  lieard  the  awful  news,  I 
suppose." 

"  How  could  I  help  it  when  every  board  in  the 
streets  sets  it  forth,  and  all  the  paper  boys  are  bellow- 
ing the  latest  news  of  the  capture  of  the  Beautiful 
White  Devil.     But  I  want  to  know  the  real  facts." 

"  You  shall  know  everything  directly.  But  first  tell 
me  what  has  brought  you  home  in  this  providential 
manner  ?  " 

"I  came  because  I  heard  that  Barkmansworth  was 
coming.  I  received  a  warning  from  Ilong  Kong  that 
he  had  applied  for  leave,  and  I  knew  that  if  he  found 
out  her  ladyship  was  in  England  he  Avould  lose  no 
opportunity  of  revenging  himself  for  that  affair  outside 
Singapore.     But  he  got  away  before  me,  and  my  wel- 

239 


240  THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE  DEVIL. 

come  to  London  yesterday  was  tlie  news  of  her  lady- 
ship's  arrest.  You  did  not  see  me  at  the  preliminary 
examination  this  morning,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  No  !  I  certainly  did  not.  And  I  thought  I  scanned 
every  face." 

"  And  3"et  I  was  standing  beside  you  all  the  time  !  " 

"  Good  gracious,  how  do  jou  mean  ?  " 

"Pray  tell  me  who  stood  next  to  jou?  Wasn't  it 
a  medium  sized  military-looking  man  in  a  much  worn 
frock  coat  with  a  velvet  collar." 

"  Now  I  come  to  think  of  it,  it  was  !  " 

"  Well,  I  was  that  man.  I'm  beginning  to  think  my 
disguises  are  artistic  after  aU." 

"  But  lo/nj  all  this  disguise  ?  What  are  you  afraid  of 
in  London." 

"  I  am  afraid  of  our  friend  Barkmansworth,  if  you 
want  to  know.  I  was  the  man  who  took  him  off  the 
mail  boat,  remember,  and  ra}^  face  must  be  unpleasantly 
familiar  to  him.  If  he  saw  me,  I  should  be  arrested 
within  an  hour,  and  whatever  happens,  seeing  the  work 
that  lies  before  us,  that  must  not !  " 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  be  of  use  to  her  ladyship  in 
her  defence  then  ?  " 

"  It  must  never  come  to  a  defence.  It  would  be 
fatal  to  allow  her  to  be  sent  to  Hong  Kong.  They 
would  convict  her  at  once.  No !  There  is  nothing 
for  it  but  for  us  to  plan  some  means  of  escape  for  her, 
and  yet,  when  one  thinks  how  perfect  English  police  ar- 
rangements are,  that  seems  wellnigh  impossible.  How- 
ever, done  it  must  be,  by  hook  or  crook,  and  we  must 
set  about  it  at  once." 

"  But  how  ?    Have  you  any  idea  in  your  head  ?" 


PLOTTING  AND  PLANNING.  241 

"  Not  at  present,  but  it  will  be  strange  if  I  don't  hit 
upon  one  before  very  long.  If  only  her  ladyship  could 
help  us  !  " 

"  Wait  one  moment.  Perhaps  she  can.  When  I 
left  her  this  afternoon  she  gave  me  a  note,  which  I 
was  not  to  open  until  I  got  home.  Let  us  see  what  it 
says." 

I  took  it  out  of  my  waistcoat  pocket,  opened  it,  and 
read  it  aloud.  It  certainly  contained  the  germs  of  an 
idea  and  ran  as  follows  : 

"  I  have  been  thinking  over  what  we  spoke  of  this  morning 
and  it  seems  to  me  that,  if  lam  to  escape  at  all,  the  attempt  must 
be  made  during  the  time  I  am  being  conveyed  from  Bow  Street 
to  Holloway  in  the  prison  van.  The  question  is  whether  suffi- 
cient temptation  could  be  put  before  the  driver  and  the  guard  to 
induce  them  to  assist  me.    Will  you  think  this  out  ?" 

When  I  had  finished  reading,  I  asked  Walworth  for 
his  opinion.  But  for  nearly  five  minutes  he  allowed  no 
sign  to  escape  hira  to  show  that  he  had  heard  my  ques- 
tion, only  laid  himself  back  in  his  chair,  looked  up  at 
the  ceiling,  and  meanwhile  slowly  tore  my  newspaper 
into  rags.  When  he  had  finished  his  work  of  destruc- 
tion, he  sat  up  straight  and  slapped  his  hand  on  his 
knee. 

"  Her  ladj'ship  is  always  right.  I  believe  I  do  see  a 
way  now  !  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  I  asked,  in  almost  breathless  excite- 
ment. 

*'  You  must  not  ask  me  just  yet.  I'll  go  aAvay  and 
make  a  few  inquiries  first.  To-night  at  nine  o'clock 
I'll  come    back    here,    and   we'll  go  into  the  matter 


242  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

tboroiiglilj.      For    the    present    then,   good-bye,   and 
keep  np  j'our  heart.      Have  no  fear,  we'll  rescue  lier 

yet." 

There  was  something  so  strong  and  confident  about 
the  man  that  this  assurance  roused  and  braced  me  like  a 
tonic.  I  stopped  him,  however,  before  he  could  reach 
the  door. 

"One  word  first,  Walworth.  Do  3'ou  know  the  posi- 
tion in  which  I  stand  towards  Alie  ?  " 

"I  know  that  you  were  to  have  been  married  within 
the  next  three  weeks,  if  that's  what  jon  mean  ? "  he 
answered.  "And  so  you  shall  be  yet  if  I  can  bring  it 
about.  Dr.  De  Normanville,  you  have  got  a  woman  for 
whom  we  all  would  die.  This  is  your  chance  to  show 
yourself  wortliy  of  her,  and,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  say 
so,  I  think  you  will.  I  am  j'our  faithful  servant  as  well 
as  hers,  remember  tliat.     Now  I  must  go  !  " 

"  Good  luck  go  with  you  !  " 

I  let  him  out  bj^the  front  door,  and  then  went  back 
to  ni}^  room  to  tr}'  and  discover  what  the  idea  could  be 
tliat  he  had  got  into  his  fertile  brain  ?  I  felt  I  Avould 
have  given  anything  to  have  known  something  a  little 
more  definite.  However,  as  I  didnH  know,  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  exercise  my  patience  until  nine 
o'clock  should  arrive. 

It  may  be  guessed  how  anxiously  I  watched  the 
hands  of  the  clock  upon  my  mantelpiece.  At  last,  how- 
ever, they  drew  round  to  the  appointed  hour  and  I  pre- 
pared myself  for  Walworth's  arrival.  But,  though  I 
saw  no  sign  of  him,  I  had  not  very  long  to  wait  for  a 
visitor.  The  last  stroke  of  nine  had  hardly  died  awa}^ 
before  my  ear  cauglit  a  ring  at  the  bell  and  a  moment 


PLOTTING  AND  PLANNING.  243 

later  a  "  Mr.  Samuel  Baker  "  was  usbercd  into  tlie  room. 
As  be  entered,  I  took  stock  of  him,  half  fearing  he 
might  be  some  sort  of  police  officer  in-  disguise.  He 
was  a  stout,  rather  pompous  man  of  middle  height, 
with  fluffy  whiskers,  clean  shaven  chin  and  upper  lip, 
and  from  his  dress  might  have  been  a  linen  draper  or 
small  tradesman  from  some  cathedral  town.  Having 
warmly  shaken  hands  with  me  lie  put  his  top  hat  down 
on  a  chair,  seated  himself  on  another,  mapped  bis  fore- 
liead  with  a  red  bandanna  handkerchief,  took  off  and 
carefully  wiped  his  spectacles,  returned  them  to  liis 
nose,  and  then  said  quietly.  "  What  do  you  think  of 
this  for  a  make-up.  Dr.  De  Normanville  ?  " 

"Walworth,"  I  cried,  in  utter  amazement.  "You 
don't  really  mean  to  say  it's  30U,  I  was  just  beginning 
to  wonder  how  I  should  manage  to  rid  myself  of  Mr, 
Samuel  Baker  before  you  should  arrive.  You  are  cer- 
tainly a  genius  at  concealing  your  identity,  if  ever  there 
was  one." 

"  I  have  had  to  do  it  so  often,"  he  replied,  "  that  I 
have  reduced  it  to  a  science." 

"  Have  you  anything  to  rejjort  ?  " 

"  A  good  deal,"  he  answered.  "  But  before  I  begin, 
may  I  light  a  cheroot  ?  I  see  from  the  ash  trays  you 
smoke  in  here  !  " 

"  Smoke  as  much  as  you  please,"  I  replied.  "  May  I 
also  offer  you  some  refreshment.  Perhaps  3'ou  haven't 
dined  ?  If  so,  I  can  tell  them  to  bring  you  up  some- 
thing !  " 

"  Xo,  thank  you,"  he  answered  ;  "I  have  dined,  and 
excellently.  Now  let  us  get  to  business  without  any 
further  waste  of  time." 


244  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  With  all  the  good  will  in  the  workl,"  I  said,  seating 
myself  again.     "  Go  on.     Tell  me  all." 

"  Well !  in  the  first  place,  you  must  understand  that 
when  I  left  here  this  afternoon  I  went  for  a  walk  to 
think  out  my  plan.  To  begin  with,  I  saw  quite  clearly 
that  any  attempt  to  rescue  her  ladyship  from  either  Bow 
Street  i^olice  station  itself  or  Hollowa}^  Gaol  would  only 
be  a  farce,  and  by  proving  a  failure  would  end  by  com- 
pletely spoiling  the  whole  thing.  I  settled  it,  therefore, 
that  the  only  time  when  it  could  be  done,  Avith  any  hope 
of  success,  would  be  on  the  journey  from  the  court  to 
the  prison.  In  other  words,  during  the  time  she  is  in 
the  van.  But  how  that  is  to  be  managed  is  more  diffi- 
cult to  see.  To  bribe  the  officials,  as  her  ladyship  sug- 
gests, would  be  altogether  too  hazardous  a  proceeding, 
even  if  it  were  possible,  nor  is  it  to  be  imagined  that  we 
could  secure  the  van  for  ourselves." 

"  It  seems  a  very  difficult  matter." 

"  Difficult,  certainly,  but  by  no  means  as  hopeless  as 
you  would  be  inclined  to  suppose.  No  !  I  have  an 
idea  in  my  head  that  looks  promising,  and  j^ou  must 
assist  me  in  carrying  it  out." 

*'  You  have  every  reason  to  know  that  you  may  count 
upon  my  doing  that,"  I  answered.  "  Who  would  so 
gladly  assist  as  I  ?" 

*'  Of  course  I  understand  that,  but  I  have  to  warn 
you  that  this  will  mean,  either  way  you  look  at  it, 
social  extinction  for  you.  If  it  fails  and  we  are  caught, 
you  are  done  for  as  far  as  your  reputation  here  is  con- 
cerned. If  we  are  not  caught,  well,  I  suppose  you  will 
fly  with  her,  and  in  that  case  you  will  certainly  never  see 
JEngland  again." 


PLOTTING  AND  PLANNING.  245 

*'  Do  you  suppose  I  shall  allow  my  o\vn  social  position 
to  weigh  with  me,  if  by  risking  it  I  can  save  her  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't  think  you  will.  But  now  let  me  detail 
my  scheme  as  I  have  thought  it  out.  In  the  first  place 
I  have  ascertained  that  the  van  leaves  the  prison  at  a 
definite  hour  every  day.  It  drives  down,  takes  the 
prisoners  up,  and  drives  back  again.  This  being  so,  it 
is  certain,  as  I  have  said  before,  that  it  must  be  stopped 
on  its  way  from  the  prison  to  the  court,  and  in  such  a 
way  that  it  cannot  go  on  again  for  at  least  half  an  hour. 
In  the  meantime  another  van  must  drive  down  equipped 
in  eveiy  way  like  the  real  one.  This  one  Avill  take  up 
the  prisoner  and  drive  off.  Once  out  of  sight  of  the 
station  it  will  drive  into  the  yard  of  an  empty  house,  a 
conve3\ance  will  then  be  in  waiting  in  the  other  street, 
her  ladyship  passes  through  the  house,  gets  into  that 
and  drives  off  to  a  railway  station  ;  there  a  Pullman 
must  be  in  readiness  to  take  her  to  the  seaside,  whence 
a  yacht  will  convey  her  to  some  place  where  we  can 
have  the  Lone  Star  to  meet  her.  I  shall  cable  to  Pat- 
terson to  set  off  and  be  in  readiness  to  pick  us  up 
directly  we  have  decided  where  that  place  shall  be." 

*'  But  how  will  you  cable  to  him  without  exciting 
suspicion  ?  " 

"  You  need  have  no  fear  on  that  score  ;  we  have  a 
means  of  communicating  of  our  own,  which  I  would 
explain  now  only  it  would  be  waste  of  time.  What  do 
you  think  of  my  scheme  ?  " 

"It  sounds  all  right,  but  is  it  workable?" 

"  I  really  think  so  !  However,  we  will  discuss  it, 
item  by  item,  and  try  and  arrive  at  a  conclusion  that 
way.     To  begin  Avith,  money  must  be  considered  no 


246  THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE  DEVIL. 

object.  If  even  £10,000  is  necessary  to  its  success, 
£10,000  will  be  spent.  In  the  first  place,  "\ve  must 
find  a  competent  coaclibuilder  at  once.  If  he  has  a  van 
on  hand,  Avhicli  is  hardly  likelj*",  we'll  i)urchase  it ! 
If  not,  well,  then  he  must  put  on  all  his  hands  and 
make  one,  even  if  he  has  to  work  day  and  night  to 
do   it." 

"But  how  will  you  explain  the  purpose  for  which  we 
want  it?" 

"  I  liave  thought  of  that,  and,  when  I  left  you,  I  sent 
the  following  telegram  :  " 

Here  lie  produced  a  duplicate  form  from  his  pocket 
and  read  it  aloud  : 

"  To  THE  Lessee  Olympic  Theatre,  Manchester  : 

"  What  dates  this  month?  Reply  terms,  Stragaus,  West  Strand 
Telegraph  Office. 

"  Maximillien  Stragaus." 

"  But  who  on  eartli  is  Maximillien  Stragaus,  and  what 
has  the  Ilo3\al  Olympic  Theatre,  Manchester,  to  do  with 
our  scheme  ?  " 

"  Everything.  In  the  first  place  j'ou  must  realise  the 
fact  that  I  am  IMaximillien  Stragaus,  the  world-renowned 
theatrical  entrepreneur,  and  that  you  are  his  secretar^^, 
Fairlight  Longsman.  Having  received  a  reply  from 
Manchester,  I  decide  to  open  there  with  my  Avonderful 
and  intensely  exciting  prison  drama,  'Saved  b}'  a 
Woman's  Pluck,'  on  the  third  Saturday  in  June.  Here 
is  the  preliminary  announcement.  I  had  it  struck  off 
this  afternoon." 

He  took  from  the  small  bag  he  had  brought  into 
the  room  ■with  him  a  large  theatrical  poster,  covered 


PLOTTING  AXD  PLANNING.  247 

with  printing  of  all  colours  of  the  rainbow.     It  read  as 
follows  : 

ROYAL  OLYMPIC  THEATRE. 

MANCHESTER. 

Lessee, Mr.  William  Caerickford. 

For  Tex  Nights  Oxly, 
Commenciug  Saturday,  June  20lh. 

Mr.  MaxiinilUen  Stragaus'  World-renowned  Standard  Company, 
in  the  intensely  exciting  Prison  Drama, 

"SAVED   BY   A  WOMAN'S   PLUCK." 

Detectives— Police— Bloodhounds— Real  Horses   and   Real 

Prison  Vans. 

Sole  Manager  and  Proprietor,    .     Mr.  Maximillien  Stragaus, 

Secretary Mr.  Fairlight  Longsman. 

"  There  !  what  do  3^ou  think  of  that  for  a  poster  ?  " 

"  Very  startling,"  I  answered.  ''  But  I  must  reiterate 
my  former  remark,  that  I  do  not  understand  in  the  very 
least  degree  what  it  has  to  do  with  us." 

"  Wiiy,  look  here,  it  means  that  to-morrow  morning 
we  go  to  that  coachbuilder  I  was  speaking  of  and  give 
him  an  order  for  a  prison  van.  Incidentally  we  will 
show  him  this  poster,  and  state  that,  owing  to  change 
of  dates,  we  must  have  the  van  delivered  this  day  week. 
Don't  you  see?  If  we  hadn't  something  to  show,  he 
might  suspect ;  this  poster,  however,  will  set  his  mind 
completely  at  rest,  and,  at  the  same  time,  be  an  excuse 
for  haste.     Now,  do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  I  do,  and  I  must  say  I  admire  j'our  Avonderful 
resource.     What  next  ?  " 

"Well,  the  next  thing  will  be  to  obtain  two  police 


248  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

uniforms  and  two  trustworthy  men,  one  to  drive  tlie  van 
the  other  to  act  as  guard.  That,  however,  will  be  easily 
managed.     The  next  item  will  be  rather  more  difficult !  " 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  Why,  to  find  a  sure  and  certain  means  of  stopping 
the  real  van  on  its  way  down  to  the  court." 

"  We  couldn't  waylay  the  driver  and  keep  him  talking, 
I  suppose  ?" 

"  We  could  try  it,  of  course  ;  but  it  "wouldn't  be  sure 
enough.  He  might  be  a  conscientious  man,  you  see,  and 
not  like  to  stop,  or  he  miglit  stop  and  afterwards  whip 
up  to  make  up  lost  time.  No  !  we  must  hit  on  some- 
thing that  will  absolutely  prevent  him  from  going  on 
for  at  least  half  an  hour,  and  j-et  something  that  Avill 
not  excite  suspicion.  I  think  I  see  a  way  to  do  it,  but  it 
will  require  the  most  minute  and  careful  working  out 
to  insure  its  success.  To  begin  with,  I  shall  have  to 
find  a  first-class  man  for  the  job,  and  possibly  I  shall 
have  to  cable  to  America  for  him." 

"  What  is  your  idea  ?  " 

*'  To  arrange  a  collision.  To  have  a  runaway,  and 
crash  into  the  horses." 

"  Would  that  do,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  If  I  can  find  the  right  man  and  the  right  sort  of 
horses." 

"I don't  like  it.  To  quote  your  own  words,  it  doesn't 
sound  sure  enough," 

"  We  shall  have  to  do  it  if  we  can't  hit  out  a  better 
way.  Then  we  must  discover  a  house  somewhere  in  a 
hand}^  neighbourhood  ;  it  must  have  a  yard  at  the  back, 
opening  into  an  obscure  street.  The  yard  must  have 
high  gates  and  be  in  such  a  position  that  it  cannot  be 


PLOTTING  AND  PLANNING.  249 

overlooked  by  the  neighbours.  Then  the  day  before  the 
business  comes  off  we  must  find  an  invalid  carriage, 
engage  a  Pullman  car  for  Portsmouth,  and  hire  a  j-acht 
for  a  voyage  to  the  Cape," 

"  It  will  mean  simply  superhuman  labour,  if  it  is  all  to 
be  accomplished  in  a  fortnight." 

"It  will,  but  I  don't  think  either  of  us  is  afraid  of 
work.  Aren't  we  fighting  for  what  is  more  precious  to 
her  than  her  life  ?  Yes  !  We'll  do  it  between  us. 
Don't  you  doubt  that.  Now  I  must  be  off  again;  I've  a 
lot  to  do  before  I  can  get  to  bed  to-night,  B}'  the  way, 
will  it  be  convenient  for  you  if  I  call  here  at  half-past 
five  to-morrow  morning  ?  We  must  be  at  the  coach- 
builder's  by  seven  o'clock," 

"  Come  at  three  if  you  like,  you  will  find  me  quite 
ready," 

"Then  good-night." 

He  went  away  and  I  to  bed.  At  five  o'clock  I  woke, 
had  a  bath,  dressed,  and  went  down  stairs.  Punctually', 
almost  to  the  minute,  a  slightly  Jewish,  black-ringletted 
man,  wearing  a  profusion  of  diamonds,  put  in  an 
appearance,  bag  in  hand.  Though  I  should  never  have 
recognised  him  as  Walworth  I  felt  certain  it  was  he,  so 
I  let  him  in  and  we  went  into  my  study  together, 

"  Now,"  said  my  friend,  for  it  was  Walworth,  as 
I  suspected,  "  I  don't  know  what  you'll  say  to  it,  but  it's 
absolutely  necessary  for  the  success  of  our  scheme  that 
you  should  assume  some  disguise.  As  you  are  known 
to  be  the  afiianced  husband  of  her  ladj-ship,  the  police 
will  be  certain  to  have  their  eyes  on  you." 

"  Do  with  me  as  you  like,"  I  replied  ;  "  I  am  in  your 
hands  entirely." 


250  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"Then,  with  your  permission,  we  will  set  to  work  at 
once.  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  bringing  a  few 
things  with  me.  You  have  an  old-fashioned  frock  coat, 
I  presume." 

"  A  very  old-fashioned  one,"  I  answered,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Tiien  put  it  on,  also  a  pair  of  light  check  trousers, 
if  you  have  them." 

I  went  to  my  room  and  did  as  he  desired.  When  I 
returned  to  the  study  he  had  arranged  a  number  of 
articles  upon  the  table — crepe  hair,  spectacles,  a  curi- 
ously low  cut  collar,  and  a  soft  felt  hat  with  a  dented 
crown.     He  gazed  at  me  with  approval,  and  then  said  : 

"  The  effect  will  be  excellent,  I  feel  sure.  Sit  down 
here." 

I  did  as  commanded  and  he  immediately  set  to  work. 
As  he  was  occupied  behind  me  I  could  not  of  course  see 
what  he  was  doing,  but  after  a  while  he  took  off  my  own 
collar,  put  on  the  low  one  he  had  brought  with  him,  cut 
up  some  crepe  hair  and  gummed  it  to  my  face,  with 
what  I  believe  is  technically  termed  "  spirit  gum," 
trimmed  its  exuberances  M'ith  a  pair  of  scissors,  and 
finally  combed  my  moustache  over  it.  This  accom- 
plished, he  placed  the  spectacles  upon  my  nose  and  the 
soft  felt  hat  rather  rakishly  upon  my  head,  patted  me 
on  the  shoulder,  and  said  : 

"  Look  at  yourself  in  the  glass." 

I  rose  and  went  over  to  the  fire-place.  But,  though  I 
looked  in  the  mirror  above  the  chimney  piece,  I  did  not 
recognise  myself.  My  moustache  was  waxed  to  a  point 
and  stood  out  above  a  close-cropped  chestnut  beard, 
while  over  my  coat  collar  hung  a  profusion  of  curls  of  a 
corresponding   colour.     Indeed,   my   whole   appearance 


PLOTTING  AND  PLANNING.  251 

suggested  a  man  whose  aim  in  life  it  was  to  copy,  as 
tiearly  as  possible,  the  accepted  portrait  of  the  Bard  of 
Avon. 

"It  is  wonderful,"  I  said.  "Nobody  would  ever 
recognise  me.     I  feel  a  theatrical  agent  all  over." 

"Remember  you  are  Fairlight  Longsman,  the  author 
of  several  farces,  and  mj^  secretary.  Whatever  you 
do,  don't  forget  that.  Now  we  must  be  going.  Come 
along." 

We  left  the  house  unnoticed,  and,  having  hailed  a 
hansom,  were  driven  to  the  carriage  builder's  yard  at 
Vauxhall.  Walworth  had  evidentl^^  written  preparing 
him  for  our  visit,  for,  early  as  it  was,  we  found  him 
waiting  to  receive  us. 

"  Zir,"  began  Mr.  Maximillien  Stragaus,  in  broken 
English,  as  soon  as  he  had  descended  from  the  cab. 
"  Is  it  you  dot  are  Mr.  Ebridge  ?  " 

"  That  is  my  name,  sir,"  said  the  coachbuilder. 
"  And  you  are  Mr,  Stragaus,  I  presume." 

"Dot  is  my  name.  Dis  shentleman  is  my  secretary, 
Mr.  Fairlide  Longsman.  Now,  you  know,  an'  so  Ave  can 
our  business  begin  to  dalk  ! " 

"  Perhaps  you  will  be  good  enough,  gentlemen,  to 
step  into  ray  office  first.  We  shall  be  more  private 
there  ? " 

We  followed  him  into  the  room  he  mentioned,  and 
took  possession  of  the  chairs  he  offered  us. 

"Now,  Mr.  Stragaus,  in  what  Avay  can  I  be  of  service 
to  you  ?"  he  asked,  seating  himself  as  he  sj^oke  at  his 
desk. 

"  Zir  !     My  segratary  sprechens  the  Anglaish  better 
nor  me,  he  vill  dell  you." 
17 


252  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

I  felt  that  it  behoved  rae  to  do  my  best,  so  leaning 
forward  in  a  confidential  manner,  I  said  : 

"  My  employer,  as  doubtless  you  are  ver^^  well  aware, 
Mr.  Ebridge,  is  one  of  the  largest  theatrical  entrepre- 
7ieurs  in  England.  His  dealings  are  gigantic.  And  it 
is  the  business  connected  with  one  of  tliose  enormous 
productions  that  brings  us  here.  In  the  first  place,  you 
must  know  that,  on  the  third  Saturday  in  this  present 
month,  he  has  arranged  to  produce  the  entirely  new  and 
original  drama,  "  Saved  by  a  Woman's  Pluck,"  at  the 
Royal  Olympic  Theatre,  Manchester.  By  the  way,  have 
you  the  preliminary  poster  with  you,  Mr.  Stragaus?" 

In  answer  Mr.  Stragaus  produced  from  his  bag  the 
placard  before  described  and  spread  it  upon  the  table, 
at  the  same  time  looking  at  the  coachbuilder  as  if  to 
demand  his  opinion  on  such  a  fine  display  of  colour. 

"You  will  observe,  Mr.  Ebridge,"  I  continued,  when 
the  other  had  read  it,  "that  the  whole  production  will 
be  on  a  scale  of  unparalleled  splendour, — police,  blood- 
hounds, live  horses,  and  one  large  prison  van,  all  on  the 
stage, — it  will  be  one  of  the  greatest  successes  of  the 
century.     But  we  want  your  assistance." 

"  You  mean,  of  course,  that  you  want  me  to  make 
you  a  van !  " 

"  Exactly  I " 

"  Just  a  makeshift  afi'air  for  the  stage,  I  presume  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  no  !  That  is  not  Mr.  Stragaus'  way  of 
doing  business  at  all.  If  he  has  a  fire  engine  on  the 
stage,  as  he  had  in  his  last  production,  it  must  be  a  real 
engine,  with  every  detail  complete  and  in  proper  work- 
ing order.  In  the  same  way  then,  when  he  orders  a 
police  van,  he  wants  it  made  in  every  particular  just  as 


PLOTTING   AND  PLANNING.  253 

you  would  make  it  for  Her  Majesty's  Government. 
Tliere  must  be  no  difference  at  all  in  any  one  respect, 
neither  the  painting,  lettering,  nor  the  internal  fit- 
tings." 

"  It  will  cost  you  a  lot  of  money,  Mr.  Stragaus,"  said 
the  builder. 

'*  Dot  is  no  madder  at  all  to  me,"  replied  Mr.  Stra- 
gaus pompously  ;  "  I  vill  'ave  de  ding  berfect  or  nod  at 
all.     Vot  is  more,  I  must  'ave  it  at  once." 

"  Mr.  Stragaus,  I  may  point  out  to  you,  Mr.  Ebridge," 
I  continued,  "  is  in  a  very  great  hurry.  There  has  been 
a  slight  pushing  forward  of  dates,  and  in  order  to  insure 
a  success  he  is  willing  to  pay  you  handsomely  if  you 
will  complete  the  work  in  a  short  space  of  time." 

"  How  long  can  you  give  me,  sir  ?  " 

"  A  week  exactly.     Not  a  day  longer  !  " 

"Impossible.     It  cannot  be  done  !  " 

"Den  ve  must  go  elsewhere,  mine  vriend,"  said  Mr. 
Stragaus.  "  Dot  is  all.  If  you  will  underdake  to  do  de 
vork  and  to  'and  me  over  de  van  gomplete  on  next 
Duesday  evening  at  twelve  o'glock,  I  vill  pay  you 
dwice  de  sum  you  ask  me  now." 

The  man  looked  up  in  surprise  at  this  extraordinary 
offer,  and  asked  to  be  excused  for  a  moment  while  he 
consulted  with  his  foreman.  While  he  was  absent,  Wal- 
worth whispered  : 

"I  think  he'll  do  it.  And  if  we  can  arrange  it  that 
way  we  shall  be  able  to  get  it  safely  up  to  the  yard  of 
the  house  unobserved." 

Here  the  coachbuilder  returned. 

"My  foreman  tells  me  he  thinks  it  can  be  done,  sir. 
But  you  must  see  that  it  will  mean  night  and  day  work 


254  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

for  us  all.  And  tbe  charge  will  have  to  be  on  a  cor- 
responding scale." 

"  Dot  is  nodings  to  me.  You  do  de  work,  and  I  vill 
pay  der  money.  You  agree?  Den  it  is  arranged  I 
shall  send  my  men  for  der  van  'ere  on  Duesday  night  at 
twelve  o'glock,  and  you  will  'ave  it  gomplete  !  Den  we 
can  zend  it  on  by  rail  vorst  ding  in  der  mornin'.  But, 
mind  you  dis,  if  it  is  not  done  den,  I  vill  not  pay  you 
von  farding,  you  agree?" 

"  I  agree.  I  have  given  you  my  promise,  Mr.  Stragaus, 
and  whatever  happens,  it  shall  be  completed  by  that 
time  !  " 

"Dot  is  goot.  You  might,  too,  'ave  a  tarbaulin  to 
cover  it  rait,  so  that  de  publick  shall  not  see  it  ven  ve 
take  it  away.  Now,  zir,  I  visli  you  goot  morning.  You 
vill  be  paid  for  de  van  ven  my  men  dake  delivery." 

"Thank  you,  sir  !     Good-morning,  gentlemen." 

When  we  were  once  more  in  the  cab,  and  on  our  way 
back  to  town,  Walworth  discarded  his  German  accent 
and  resumed  his  natural  tongue. 

"So  far  so  good.  That  bit  of  business  is  satisfactorily 
accomplished." 

"You  did  not  say  anything  to  him  about  observing 
secrecy." 

"It  wasn't  necessary.  That  poster,  which  you  will 
notice  I  have  left  upon  his  table,  will  account  for  every- 
thing." 

"But  supposing  the  police  get  to  hear  of  it,  and  it 
rouses  their  suspicions  ?  " 

"  Well,  let  them  get  to  hear  of  it.  If  they  suspect, 
tliey  will  call  on  Ebridge  and  make  inquiries.  He  will 
then  describe  us  and  show  the  poster.     Tliey  may  then 


PLOTTING  AND  PLANNING.  255 

possibly"  telegraph  to  tlie  Olympic,  Manchester,  and 
learn  that  Mr.  Stragaus  has  booked  a  season  there  for 
his  new  pla3\  That  will  put  them  off  the  scent  com- 
pletely." 

*' And  what  are  we  to  do  now  ?" 

"  Well,  now,  you  had  better  come  to  breakfast  with  me, 
I  think,  at  my  lodgings.  You  can  there  resume  your  own 
everyday  appearance.  During  the  morning  I  am  going 
to  meet  two  men  I  liave  in  my  mind  for  the  policemen  ; 
after  that  I  shall  visit  a  tailor's  shop  and  order  the  uni- 
forms as  arranged.  In  the  afternoon  I'm  going  to  hunt 
for  a  house." 

"Can  I  do  anything  else  to  help  you?" 

"  Not  just  at  present.  Unless  you  can  find  me  a  trust- 
worthy lady  who  will  consent  to  masquerade  for  a  little 
while  as  a  hospital  nurse  ?  " 

"  There  I  think  I  ccm  help  you.  My  sister  Janet,  I'm 
sure,  would  gladly  do  so.  I'll  call  upon  her  this  after- 
noon and  see." 

I  did  so,  and  of  course  secured  Janet's  immediate 
promise  of  co-operation. 


CHAPTEE   XV. 

HOW    WE    SUCCEEDED. 

0^  looking  back  upon  that  dreadful  fortnight,  I 
almost  wonder  how  I  managed  to  live  through  it.  In- 
deed, had  it  not  been  for  Walworth's  indomitable  energy 
and  the  corresponding  spirit  it  provoked  in  me,  I  some- 
times doubt  if  I  should  have  come  through  it  in  posses- 
sion of  my  senses.  The  anxiety  and  the  constant  dread 
of  failure  were  the  worst  parts  of  it,  and  the  last  haunted 
me,  day  and  night,  without  cessation. 

Every  day  popular  excitement,  fanned  by  the  news- 
papers, was  growing  greater  in  London.  As  more 
became  known  of  the  Beautiful  White  Devil's  extraor- 
dinary career,  the  interest  taken  by  the  public  in  the 
case  increased,  until  it  was  generally  admitted  that  at 
the  final  examination  it  would  be  wellnigh  impossible 
to  gain  admittance  to  the  court.  As,  however,  my  duty 
on  that  occasion  would  lie  elsewhere,  I  did  not  trouble 
myself  very  much  about  that. 

At  last  the  Wednesday  preceding  the  fatal  Thursday 
dawned.  This  was  the  last  day  permitted  us  in  which 
to  perfect  our  arrangements.  I  had  been  warned  by 
AYalworth  that  he  would  call  upon  me  late  in  the  even- 
ing to  make  his  final  report,  and  at  his  particular  request 
I  arranged  that  my  sister  Janet  should  be  present.  I 
wrote  her  a  note  to  that  effect,  and  at  eight  o'clock 

256 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED.  257 

precisely  she  drove  up  to  the  door.     When  we  were 
alone  in  ray  room  together,  I  said  : 

"Janet,  it  is  Walworth's  wish  that  you  should  he 
present  at  our  interview.  Have  you  made  up  your  mind 
definitely?  Remember,  there  is  yet  time  for  you  to 
draw  back  if  you  wish  to  do  so." 

She  drew  herself  up  proudly  and  looked  me  in  the 
face. 

"  There  will  be  no  drawing  back  as  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned," she  said.  "  No  I  if  you  and  Alie  leave  England 
and  will  take  me,  I  will  go  with  you  gladly.  Why 
should  I  not  ?  I  have  no  one  left  now  to  consider,  and 
without  you  both  my  hfe  would  be  too  lonely." 

"  Janet,  dear  ;  what  can  I  say  to  you?  "  I  answered.  . 
<'  But  there,  you  know  how  I  feel  about  your  generosity, 
don't  you?" 

"  I  do  I     So  let's  say  no  more  about  it." 

Just  then  there  was  a  ring  at  the  bell,  and  a  few 
moments  later  my  man  ushered  in  a  decrepid  old  gentle- 
men of  about  seventy  years  of  age,  who,  immediately 
the  door  had  closed  behind  him,  straightened  his  back, 
allowed  his  cheeks  to  fill  again,  and  declared  himself 
to  be  the  ever-cautious  Walworth.  He  bowed  to  Janet, 
shook  hands  with  me,  and  then  said  : 

"I  couldn't  call  in  the  capacity  of  either  Mr.  Maxi- 
millien  Stragaus  or  my  old  friend  Samuel  Baker  again, 
you  see  !  So  I  adopted  this  disguise.  By  the  way.  it 
may  surprise  you  to  learn  that  every  one  who  enters 
or  leaves  this  house  is  watched  and  followed.  If  you 
go  to  the  window  you  will  see  a  man  leaning  against 
the  lamp  post  on  the  other  side  of  the  street.  He  is  a 
police  agent.     But  let  us  proceed  to  business." 


258  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"With  all  my  heart,"  I  said.  "I'm  sick  with  longing 
to  know  how  our  preparations  are  proceeding ! " 

"  Nothing  could  be  more  satisfactor}^"  he  answered. 
"  The  case,  as  you  well  know,  will  not  be  called  on  till 
the  afternoon.  The  instant  it  is  over  the  man  I  cabled 
to  America  for,  and  in  whom  I  have  the  most  perfect 
trust,  Avill  drive  a  pair  of  vicious  horses,  purchased 
yesterday,  out  of  a  livery  stable  yard  in  the  direction  in 
which  the  van  will  travel.  When  he  sees  it  ahead  of 
him  he  will  act  in  such  a  manner  as  to  lead  people  to 
suppose  him  to  be  drunk  ;  he  will  also  begin  to  lash  his 
animals,  who  will  certainly  run  away.  He  is  one  of  the 
finest  whips  living,  and  will  drive  those  horses  crasli 
into  the  team  of  the  van,  and  by  so  doing  will,  we  sin- 
cerely trust,  cause  such  damage  as  will  delay  their  arrival 
for  at  least  half  an  hour.  In  the  meantime  our  own  van  will 
be  in  readiness,  and  the  instant  the  case  is  over  will  drive 
into  the  yard,  and  after  the  necessary  preliminaries,  all  of 
which  I  have  personally  worked  out  and  arranged,  the 
prisoner  will  be  put  into  it,  the  door  locked,  and  the  van 
will  then  drive  off  to  us.  We  shall  be  awaiting  its  arrival ; 
you,  madam,  in  your  nurse's  dress,  and  you.  Dr.  De 
Normanville,  as  I  shall  prepare  you  to  act  the  part  of  a 
middle-aged  naval  man  whose  one  hobby  in  life  is  yachting. 
Arriving  at  the  house  we  shall  carry  the  patient,  wrapped  up 
to  the  eyes,  to  an  invalid  carriage  in  the  front  street,  and 
drive  off  to  the  station,  there  to  catch  the  afternoon  express 
for  Portsmouth.  I  have  secured  a  Pullman  car  ;  the  house 
is  also  engaged,  and  has  been  partly  furnished  in  order  to 
deceive  the  neighbours :  I  have  settled  that  the  invalid 
carriage  shall  be  at-  the  door  earlier  than  it  will  be 
wanted,  and  the    yacht,  which  I  have  chartered  for  six 


HOW   WE  SUCCEEDED.  259 

months,  will  be  in  readiness  to  get  under  weigh  the 
instant  we're  aboard  !  " 

"And  what  will  become  of  tlie  van  and  liorses?" 

"The  horses  will  be  taken  away  from  the  yard  within 
an  hour  of  our  departure.  The  van  can  remain  there  as 
long  as  it  pleases.  We  will  hope  by  the  time  they  find 
it  we  shall  be  far  away  from  England." 

"And  does  Alie  understand  j^our  ari-angeraents  ? " 
asked  Janet. 

"Perfectly.  I  called  at  the  gaol  this  morning,  dis- 
guised as  a  solicitor's  clerk,  saw  her,  and  told  her  all. 
You  need  have  no  fear  for  her,  she  will  play  her  part  to 
perfection," 

"  Then  everything  is  settled,  I  suppose,  and  there  is 
nothing  for  us  to  do  but  to  wait  patiently  for  to- 
morrow ?  " 

"  Nothing  but  that  !  Now,  with  your  permission,  I 
will  be  going.  I  don't  suppose  I  shall  see  you  again  till 
we  meet  at  the  house." 

"  Good-bye,  and  God  bless  yon,  Walworth,  for  all 
you  have  done." 

After  he  had  left  us  Janet  and  I  sat  talking  late  into 
the  night,  and  when  we  separated  at  her  bedroom  door, 
it  was  with  a  heartfelt  wish  that  V  good  luck  "  might 
attend  us  on  the  morrow. 

Next  morning  the  long  hours  seemed  as  if  the}'' would 
never  pass.  All  my  personal  arrangements  had  been 
made  some  days  before,  and  my  luggage  sent  off  to  the 
yacht  at  Portsmouth,  labelled  "  Captain  E.  Wakemen," 
so  there  was  absolutely  nothing  at  all  for  me  to  do  to 
kill  the  time  till  we  were  due  at  the  house.  At  twelve 
o'clock,  sharp   to   the   minute,  J  met   and  I  had   luuchj 


260  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

and  at  half-past,  set  oflf  in  different  directions,  taking 
particular  care  to  see  tl)at  we  were  not  followed. 

We  reached  the  house  almost  simultaneously  and 
were  received  at  the  door  by  an  irreproachable  maid- 
servant, who  did  not  seem  in  the  least  surprised  to  see 
us.  Walworth  we  found  in  a  room  at  the  back,  this 
time  irreproachably  got  up  as  an  old  family  butler.  My 
sister  was  already  dressed  in  her  nurse's  apparel,  and 
very  sweet  and  womanly  she  looked  in  it.  In  the  pas- 
sage, outside  the  one  room  which  had  been  made  habit- 
able, was  a  curious  sort  of  stretcher,  the  use  of  which  I 
could  not  determnie. 

"  That  is  the  bed  place  upon  which  we  shall  carry  your 
poor  invalid  wife  out  to  the  carriage,"  said  Walworth. 
"  You  see  it  is  quite  ready  for  use." 

"  I  see.  And  when  am  I  to  make  my  toilette  ?  I 
have  brought  the  clothes  you  mentioned  with  me,  in  this 
parcel." 

"  That's  right.  I  was  half  afraid  you  might  bring  a 
hand-bag,  which  would  liave  had  to  be  left  behind  and 
would  very  possibly  have  been  recognised.  Now  I 
think  you  had  better  come  into  the  other  room  and 
let  me  make  you  up  at  once." 

I  followed  him,  and  when  I  emerged  again  a  qiiarter 
of  an  hour  later,  I  might  very  well  have  stood  for  a 
portrait  of  a  representative  middle-aged  English  naval 
man  on  the  retired  list.  My  hair  was  iron  gray,  as  also 
were  my  close  cropped  beard  and  moustache  ;  the  very 
cut  of  my  clothes  and  the  fashion  of  my  neck  cloth 
seemed  to  set  forth  my  calling  as  plain  as  any  words 
could  speak.  In  this  get-up  I  had  not  the  leasfc  fear 
that  any  one  would  recognise  me.     By  this  time  it  was 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED.  261 

nearly  two  o'clock,  and  the  case  was  to  coramence  at 
half-past. 

"Is  everything  prepared?"  I  asked  Walworth,  for 
about  the  hundredth  time,  as  we  adjourned  to  the  sitting- 
room. 

"Everything,"  he  answered,  with  the  same  patient 
equanimity.  "  Come  into  the  yard  and  see  them  harness 
the  horses." 

I  followed  him  out  into  the  back  regions,  where  we 
found  two  stalwart  policemen  busily  occupied  attaching 
a  couple  of  horses  to  an  enormous  Black  Maria.  They 
touched  their  hats  to  me  with  as  little  concern  as  if  the 
business  they  were  engaged  to  carry  out  was  one  of  the 
very  smallest  importance.  Somehow  their  stolidity  did 
not  seem  reassuring  to  me,  and  I  accordingly  called 
Walworth  on  one  side. 

"Are  you  perfectly  sure  you  can  trust  these  men?" 
I  asked  anxiously. 

"Absolutely,"  he  answered.  "I  know  them  of  old, 
and  I  can  tell  you  we  are  extremely  lucky  to  get  them. 
Besides,  they  know  that  if  they  get  the  prisoner  safely 
away  they  will  each  receive  a  thousand  pounds.  If 
they  don't  they  get  nothing.  Don't  be  afraid.  You 
may  depend  implicitly  on  them.  Now  come  inside.  I 
have  had  the  telephone  put  in  the  house  on  purpose  for 
this  moment,  and  we  must  watch  it." 

We  returned  to  the  sitting-room  and  waited.  The 
minutes  seemed  long  as  hours,  and  so  horrible  was  the 
suspense  that  I  began  to  conjure  up  all  sorts  of  calami- 
ties. Perhaps  I  may  be  laughed  at  for  owning  myself 
such  a  coward,  but  let  the  pluckiest  man  living  try  the 
ordeal  I  was  then  passing  through,  and  see  if  he  would 


262  THE   BEAUTIFUL   WHITE   DEVIL. 

be  braver.  No  1  I  was  in  a  condition  of  complete  terror, 
and  I'll  own  it  I 

Suddenly,  with  a  noise  that  echoed  down  the  empty 
corridor  and  braced  us  to  action  like  a  trumpet  call, 
the  telephone  bell  rang  out.  Both  Walworth  and  1 
jumped  to  our  feet  at  the  same  instant  and  appropriated 
the  ear  trumpets.  Then  a  tiny  voice  inside  the  instru- 
ment said  mysteriously : 

"  The  case  is  adjourned  and  the  crowd  is  dispersing." 

With  a  step  as  steady  and  a  voice  as  firm  as  if  he 
"were  ordering  his  carriage  for  an  airing  in  the  Park, 
Walworth  went  to  the  back  door,  I  following  close 
at  his  heels.  He  gave  a  signal  and  then  crossed  the 
yard  to  the  gates,  wliich  he  began  to  open. 

"Are  you  ready?"  he  cried  to  the  men. 

"Quite  ready,"  the  taller  of  the  pair  answered,  climb- 
ing on  the  box. 

"Papers  and  everytliing  handy?" 

"Aye,  aye,  sir,"  said  the  guard  on  the  seat  at  tlie 
back. 

"Very  well  tlien,  go  ahead,  and  good  luck  go  with 
you  !  " 

The  gates  were  thrown  open  and  the  van  rolled  out 
into  the  lialf-deserted  street. 

"Now  come  with  me,"  cried  Walworth,  "and  see  if 
the  carriage  is  at  the  otlier  door." 

We  went  inside,  passed  through  the  house,  and  out 
to  the  front.  Yes  !  Tlie  peculiar-shaped  hospital  car, 
with  the  door  opening  at  tlie  end  to  admit  the  stretcher, 
was  already  pacing  up  and  down.  By  this  time  I  could 
do  nothing,  my  teeth  were  chattering  in  my  liead  with 
simple  terror. 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED.  263 

"  Come,  come,"  said  Walworth,  observing  my  condi- 
tion, "you  mustn't  let  yourself  go  like  this.  Let  me 
give  you  a  drop  of  spirit." 

He  took  a  flask  from  his  pocket  and  poured  rae  out 
half  a  tumbler  of  whiskey.  I  drank  it  off  neat  and,  I 
am  prepared  to  assert,  did  not  taste  it  any  more  than  if 
it  had  been  so  much  water.  He  offered  a  little  to  Janet, 
who  sat  in  the  corner  in  a  listening  attitude,  and  wlien 
slie  refused  it,  screwed  on  the  top  again  and  replaced  it 
in  his  pocket. 

Again  we  sat  in  dumb,  almost  terrified  expectancy. 
Times  out  of  number  I  thouglit  I  heard  the  van  roll 
into  the  yard,  and  sprang  to  my  feet,  only  to  find  that 
it  was  some  cart  passing  in  the  street.  Its  non-arrival  in 
the  time  we  had  given  it  found  me  almost  too  fright- 
ened to  think  coherently.  I  conjured  up  all  sorts  of 
catastrophes  in  my  mind.  I  saw  the  horses  fall,  the 
driver  tumble  from  his  box,  I  saw  our  policemen 
suspected  and  the  plot  found  out.  Then  suddenly  in  the 
middle  of  it  all  I  heard  the  roll  of  wheels,  they  came 
closer  and  closer,  then  they  stopped,  the  gates  were 
thrown  open,  and  a  second  or  two  later  the  van  rolled 
into  the  j^ard.  Before  I  could  have  counted  ten  tlie 
guard  was  down  from  his  perch,  the  gates  were  closed 
again,  the  door  of  the  van  was  opened,  and  Alie  ran 
down  the  steps.  Then,  forgetting  those  about  us,  I 
rushed  out  and  took  her  in  my  arms.  But  Walworth 
would  have  no  delay. 

"  Come  inside  quickl}-,"  he  said.  "  There  is  not  a  sec- 
ond to  lose  !     Tliey  may  be  after  us  already  ! " 

We  followed  him  into  the  house,  and  tlien  for  the 
first  time  I  saw  that  Alie  had  dressed  herself  in  tlie  van 


2G4  THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE  DEVIL. 

for  the  part  she  had  to  play.  Throwing  herself  down 
upon  the  stretcher,  she  pulled  the  coverlet  across  her, 
donned  a  wig  with  corkscrew  curls,  drew  a  veil  over  her 
face,  and  announced  herself  ready.  Janet  picked  up  her 
reticule,  smelling  salts,  shawls,  fans,  etc.  ;  the  maid 
brought  an  armful  of  rugs  ;  I  took  one  end  of  the 
stretcher,  Walworth  the  other,  and  so  we  went  down  the 
steps  to  the  carriage.  Then  the  invalid  was  hoisted  in, 
Janet  and  I  stepped  in  and  seated  ourselves  beside  her, 
Walworth  sprang  onto  the  box  beside  the  coachman,  and 
away  we  went  for  Waterloo  as  fast  as  our  spirited  horse 
could  trot. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken  all  the  way,  and  in  less  than 
ten  minutes  we  liad  rattled  up  the  causeway  and  were 
disembarking  our  precious  load  upon  the  platform.  As 
the  porters  came  crowding  around  us,  I  thought  this  a 
fitting  opportunity  for  assuming  the  role  I  had  elected 
to  play.  So  calling  upon  two  of  them  to  take  up  "  Mrs. 
Wakeman  "  and  be  very  careful  not  to  shake  her,  I  led 
the  way  toward  the  Pullman  which  had  been  specially 
reserved  for  us.  Walworth,  in  his  capacity  of  family 
servant,  had  mounted  guard  at  the  door,  and,  when  we 
were  inside,  went  off  to  his  own  carriage.  A  minute 
later  the  guard  waved  his  flag,  the  whistle  sounded,  and 
the  train  steamed  slowly  out  of  the  station.  So  far  we 
were  safe.     But  oh  !  what  an  awful  risk  we  had  run. 

Fortunately  the  train  by  which  we  were  travelling 
was  an  express,  and  did  not  stop  anywhere  until  it 
readied  Eastleigh  ;  so  that  as  soon  as  we  were  under 
weigh  Alie  could  remove  her  wig  and  bedclothes,  and 
sit  upriglit. 

"  Alio,"  I  whispered,   taking  her   liand   and   looking 


HOW   WE  SUCCEEDED.  2G5 

into  her  beautiful  eyes,  "  can  you  believe  tbat,  so  far, 
you  are  safe  ?" 

"  Hardly,"  she  said.  "  But  we  must  not  relax  any 
of  our  precautions.  By  this  time  the  police  will  have 
learned  the  truth,  and  I  shouldn't  be  at  all  surprised  if 
the  train  is  searched  at  Eastleigh.  They're  certain  to 
telegraph  in  every  direction  to  stop  us." 

"  But  surely  they  won't  suspect  us  9  " 

"  I  hope  not,  but  we  must  not  make  too  sure."  Here 
she  crossed  the  carriage  and  took  my  sister's  hand. 
"  Janet,  what  could  George  have  been  thinking  of  to 
allow  you  to  run  this  risk  ?     Why  did  you  do  it?" 

In  reply  Janet  patted  her  hand,  and  looked  affection- 
ately into  her  face. 

"If  you  really  want  to  know  the  reason,  it  was  because 
we  both  love  you." 

"  You  are  too  good  to  me,"  Alie  answered,  her  dear 
eyes  swimming  with  tears,  "  far  too  good." 

"  Hush,  you  must  not  say  that.  Let  us  be  thankful  that 
our  venture  has  prospered  as  it  has  done." 

Mile  after  mile  sped  by,  and  soon  we  had  passed 
Winchester  and  were  drawing  close  to  Eastleigh.  Tlien 
Alie  resumed  her  wig  and  veil,  and,  having  done  so,  laid 
herself  down  once  more  upon  her  couch.  Closer  and 
closer  we  came,  till  presently  we  entered  the  station 
itself,  and,  with  a  great  rattle  and  roar  of  brakes,  drew 
up  at  the  platform.  Then  ensued  the  usual  scurrying 
of  passengers,  the  "  by  your  leave "  of  porters  with 
trucks  of  luggage,  after  that  the  gradual  subsidence  of 
bustle,  and  in  three  minutes  all  was  ready  for  proceeding 
upon  our  way  once  more.  But  just  as  the  guard  was 
about  to  give  his  signal  the  station  master  stayed  his  hand. 


266  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

Next  moment  an  inspector  of  police,  accompanied  by  a 
sergeant  and  two  or  three  constables  appeared  upon  the 
scene  and  began  slowly  to  inspect  the  various  carriages. 
I  leaned  out  of  the  window  and  watched  them,  out- 
wardly calm,  but  inwardly  trembling.  Every  moment 
they  were  drawing  nearer  to  our  carriage.  I  looked 
behind  me.  Janet  was  seated  by  Alie's  side  slowly 
fanning  her.  From  them  I  turned  and  glanced  down 
the  platform  again.  The  police  were  already  at  the 
next  carriage  and  in  a  minute  would  be  at  my  door. 
What  should  I  do  ?  What  should  I  say  ?  But  I  dared 
not  think.  I  felt  I  must  leave  it  all  to  chance.  A 
moment  later  the  inspector  arrived,  and  was  about  to 
turn  the  handle. 

"Excuse  me,"  I  said,  pretending  to  mistake  his  mean- 
ing, "  but  this  carriage  is  engaged  !  I  think  you  will 
find  room  in  the  next  compartment." 

"  I'm  not  looking  for  a  seat,"  the  officer  replied,  civilly 
enough,  "I'm  looking  for  an  escaped  criminal." 

"  Hush !  Hush  !  My  good  sir,  not  so  loud  for 
mercy's  sake,"  I  whispered,  as  if  in  an  ecstacy  of  fear. 
"  I  have  my  wife  inside  dangerously  ill.  She  must  not 
be  frightened." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  he  answered.  "  I'm  sorry 
I  spoke  so  loud  !  "  Then,  as  I  moved  aside  to  admit 
him:  "Don't  trouble,  sir,  I  don't  think  I  need  come  in, 
thank  you  ! " 

"I'm  glad  of  that,"  I  replied.  "And  pray  who  is 
this  escapee  you  are  looking  for?" 

"The  woman  there  has  been  such  a  talk  about  lately, 
'The  Beautiful  White  Devil.'  She  managed  to  effect 
an  escape  on  tlie  way  to  Holloway  Goal  this  afternoon. 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED.  267 

But  I  am  keeping  tlie  train.  I  must  get  on  !  Good 
afternoon  and  thank  you,  sir  !  " 

"  Good  afternoon," 

I  sat  down  with  an  inarticulate  expression  of  my 
gratitude  to  Heaven,  and,  a  minute  or  so  later,  the  train 
continued  its  journey,  not  to  stop  again  until  we  were  in 
Portsmouth  town. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  docks,  "Walworth  and  I 
carried  Alie  down  the  steps  to  the  wharf,  and  as  soon 
as  this  was  accomplished  my  faithful  friend  went  off  in 
search  of  tlie  launch  which,  it  had  been  arranged,  should 
meet  and  take  us  out  to  the  yacht,  then  lying  in  the 
harbour.  When  he  had  discovered  it,  we  lifted  our 
precious  burden  on  board,  and  steamed  out  to  where  our 
craft  lay.  Ten  minutes  later  we  had  Alie  aboard  and 
safel}''  in  her  own  cabin,  and  were  proceeding  down  the 
Solent  under  a  full  head  of  steam.  Our  rescue  loas 
accomplished. 

The  yacht  was  a  large  one,  of  perhaps  three  hundred 
tons  ;  she  was  also  a  good  sea  boat,  and,  what  was  better 
still,  a  fast  one.  By  nightfall  we  had  left  the  Isle  of 
Wight  behind  us,  and  brought  S manage  almost  abeam. 
Then  we  stood  further  out  into  the  Channel  and  in  the 
gathering  darkness  lost  sight  of  land  altogether.  At 
seven  o'clock  we  dined  together  in  the  saloon — the 
skipper,  an  old  shellback  whom  Walworth  had  picked 
up,  sitting  down  with  us.  At  first  he  seemed  a  little 
surprised  at  Alie's  sudden  convalescence,  but  when  I 
informed  him  that  it  was  nothing  but  nerves,  he 
accepted  the  explanation  and  said  no  more. 

After  the  meal  was  over  we  left  the  rather  stuffy 
cabin  and  went  on  deck.  It  was  a  glorious  night.  In 
18 


2(38  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

tlie  west  a  young  moon  was  dropping  on  to  the  hori- 
zon, the  sea  was  as  smooth  as  a  mill  pond,  and  the  air 
just  cool  enougli  to  make  exercise  pleasant.  Leaving 
Walworth  and  Janet  to  fight  the  battle  of  our  escape 
over  and  over  again  on  the  port  side  of  tlie  deck,  we 
})aced  the  starboard,  only  to  find  ourselves  aft  at  our 
favourite  spot,  the  taffrail. 

"George,  dear,"  said  Alie  softh^,  when  we  had  been 
standing  there  a  few  moments.  "  What  a  lot  has  hap- 
pened since  we  last  stood  like  this,  looking  out  across 
the  sea." 

"  Yes,  darling  ;  a  great  deal  has  indeed  occurred  to  us 
both,"  I  answered.  Then,  after  a  little  pause,  "  Alie,  do 
you  know  if  you  had  not  escaped  to-day  I  should  never 
have  been  able  to  forgive  myself,  for  remember  it  was  I 
who  was  the  means  of  bringing  you  home." 

"  You  must  not  say  that  !  " 

"  But  I  must  say  it  ;  it  is  true." 

"  Then  I  will  forgive  you  on  one  condition  !  Will 
you  make  a  bargain  with  me?" 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  That — that "  Here  a  little  fit  of  modesty  over- 
came her.  "  That  we  put  into  Madeira  and  you  marry 
me  there." 

"Alie,  darling,  do  you  mean  it  ?  "  I  cried,  delighted 
beyond  all  measure  at  the  proposal. 

"  Of  course  I  mean  it." 

"  But  would  it  be  safe,  think  you  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  !  Tliey  will  never  dream  of  looking  for 
us  there.  You  must  allow  the  skipper  to  understand 
that  it  is  a  runaway  match.  That  will  remove  his 
Bci'upk'S,  and  make  it  all  plain  sailing." 


HOW  WE  SUCCEEDED.  269 

"And  yon  will  really  be  my  wife  then,  Alie?" 

"  Have  I  not  already  been  bold  enough  to  ask  you  to 
marry  me  ?  " 

"  Then,  please  God,  we  will  put  into  Madeira  and  do 
as  you  suggest  !  " 

And  that's  how  it  was  settled  ! 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

OUR    MAREIAGE,   AND    THE    SETTLEMENT    AGAIN. 

I  AM  drawing  near  the  end  of  my  long  story  now,  and, 
when  two  more  circumstances  connected  with  our  flight 
have  been  rei^orted,  I  shall  be  able  to  lay  down  my  pen 
and  feel  that  the  story  of  the  one  and  only  romance  of  my 
life  has  been  written. 

The  first  of  the  two  circumstances  to  be  recorded  is  my 
marriage.  On  July  18th,  seven  days  exactly  after  saying 
good-bye  to  England,  we  reached  Madeira.  Previously  to 
sighting  the  island,  Walworth,  in  a  conversation  with  the 
captain,  had  allowed  him  to  suppose  that  Alie  was  a  great 
heiress,  and  that  ours  was  a  runaway  match.  His  nautical 
spirit  of  romance  was  stirred,  and  he  found  early  occasion 
to  inform  me  that  he  would  do  everything  in  his  power  to 
further  the  ends  we  had  in  view. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  we  were  at  anchor  in  harbour,  and 
the  necessary  formalities  had  been  complied  with,  I  went 
ashore,  hunted  up  the  proper  authorities,  and  obtained  a 
special  license.  A  parson  was  the  next  person  i-equired, 
and  when  I  had  discovered  him  in  the  little  vicarage  next 
door  to  his  church,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  our 
wedding  was  arranged  for  the  following  day  at  ten  o'clock. 

Accordingly  next  morning  after  breakfast  a  boat  was 
manned,  and  Alie,  Janet,  Walworth,  the  captain,  and 
myself  went  ashore.  To  avert  suspicion  we  separated  on 
landing,  but  met  again  at  the  church  door  half  an  hour 

270 


OUB  MARRIAGE.  271 

later.  It  was  a  lovely  morning,  a  heavy  dew  lay  upon  the 
grass,  and  when  the  sun  came  out  and  smiled  upon  us,  the 
world  looked  as  if  it  were  decked  with  diamonds  in  honour 
of  our  wedding. 

While  we  were  waiting  in  the  little  porch  and  the  cleik 
was  opening  the  doors,  Walworth  went  off  and  hunted  up 
the  parson.  Five  minutes  afterwards  they  returned  together, 
and  then,  before  the  bare  little  altar,  with  the  sun  stream- 
ing in  through  the  open  door,  George  de  Normanville  and 
Alie  Dunbar  were  made  man  and  wife.  The  register  was 
then  signed  and  witnessed,  and  having  feed  the  clergyman 
and  tipped  the  clerk,  we  all  went  back  to  the  town  again. 
It  had  all  been  most  satisfactorily  managed,  and  I  had  not 
the  slightest  doubt  but  that  the  half-imbecile  old  clergyman 
had  forgotten  our  names  almost  before  he  had  discarded 
his  surplice  in  the  vestry. 

An  hour  later  we  were  back  on  board  the  yacht,  which 
had  by  this  time  replenished  her  supply  of  coal ;  steam  Avas 
immediately  got  up,  and  by  three  o'clock  we  were  safely 
out  of  sight  of  land  once  more.  Now  we  had  nothing  to 
be  afraid  of  save  being  stopped  and  overhauled  by  a  man- 
of-war.  But  that  was  most  unlikely,  and  even  in  the 
event  of  one  heaving  in  sight  and  desiring  to  stop  us,  I 
had  no  doubt  in  my  own  mind  that  we  possessed  sufficiently 
quick  heels  to  enable  us  to  escape  it. 

But  I  am  reminded  that  I  have  said  nothing  yet  as  to 
the  joy  and  happiness  which  was  mine  in  at  last  having 
Alie  for  my  wife.  I  have  also  omitted,  most  criminally,  to 
give  you  a  full  account  of  the  wedding  breakfast,  which 
was  held  with  becoming  ceremony  in  the  saloon  of  the 
yacht,  as  soon  as  we  had  got  safely  on  our  way  once  more. 
The   captain's   attempt   at   speech-making   has   not   been 


272  THE  BEAUTIFUL   WHITE  DEVIL. 

reported,  nor  have  I  told  yon  what  a  singular  ass  I  made 
of  myself,  and  how  I  nearly  broke  down  when  I  rose  to 
reply  to  the  toast  of  our  healths.  No  I  an  account  of 
those  things,  however  interesting  to  those  who  actually 
took  part  in  them,  could  be  of  little  or  no  concern  to  any- 
one else.  So  for  that  reason,  if  for  no  other,  I  will  be 
prudent  and  hold  my  tongue. 

Of  the  rest  of  the  voyage  to  the  Mascarenhas,  there  is 
little  to  chronicle,  save,  perhaps,  that  we  sighted  Table 
Mountain  in  due  course,  rounded  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
safely — though  we  had  some  choppy,  nasty  weather  iu 
doing  so, — and  passing  into  the  Indian  Ocean,  eventually 
arrived  off  the  island  of  Reunion  an  hour  before  daybreak. 
I  was  on  deck  before  it  was  light,  waiting  eagerly  for 
the  first  signs  of  day.  Not  a  breath  of  wind  was  stirring 
and  as  we  were  only  under  the  scantiest  sail  our  progress 
was  hardly  discernible.  Then  little  by  little  dawn  broke 
upon  us,  a  clear,  pearl-gray  light,  in  which  the  world 
appeared  so  silent  and  mysterious  a  place  that  one  almost 
feared  to  breathe  in  it.  While  I  was  watching,  I  heard 
someone  come  across  the  deck  behind  me,  and  next 
moment  a  httle  hand  stole  into  mine.  It  was  AHe,  my 
wife. 

"  Can  you  discern  any  sign  of  the  schooner  ? "  she 
asked. 

Before  answering  I  looked  round  the  horizon,  but  there 
was  not  a  sign  of  any  sail  at  all.  To  port  showed  up  the 
dim  outline  of  the  island,  with  a  few  small  fishing  boats 
coming  out  to  meet  the  rising  sun,  but  in  every 
other  direction,  there  was  nothing  but  grey  sea  softly 
heaving. 

"  No,  darling,"  T  answered,  "  I  can  see  nothing  of  lior. 


OUE  MARRIAGE.  273 

But  we  must  not  be  too  impatient.  There  is  plenty 
of  time  for  her  to  put  in  an  appearance  yet." 

Five  minutes  later  Walworth  came  up  the  companion 
ladder  and  joined  us.     Alie  turned  to  him. 

"  I  hope  Captain  Patterson  thoroughly  understood  your 
instructions,  Mr.  Walworth?  "  she  said. 

"  I  wired  to  him  to  be  here  a  week  ago,"  Walworth 
answered;  "he  was  to  expect  us  to-day,  but,  in  case  of 
our  non-arrival,  to  continue  cruising  about  in  these  waters 
until  the  end  of  the  month." 

"  Then  we  need  have  no  fear,"  she  replied  confidently; 
"  we  shall  sight  him  before  very  long,  I  feel  sure." 

We  then  fell  to  pacing  the  deck  together,  talking  of  the 
future  and  all  it  promised  for  us. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  lookout  whom  the  captain  had 
sent  into  the  fore  crosstrees  to  report  anything  he  might 
see,  sang  out,  "  Sail  ho  !  " 

"  How  does  she  bear  ?  "  cried  the  skipper  from  the  deck. 

*'  Dead  ahead,  sir !  "  was  the  man's  reply 

"  What  does  she  look  like  ?  " 

**  A  big  topsail  schooner,  painted  white." 

"  The  Lone  Star  for  certain,  then,"  said  Alie,  taking  my 
hand  again. 

As  she  spoke,  the  breakfast  bell  sounded  and  we  went 
below  to  our  meal.  When  we  returned  to  the  deck  the 
distance  between  the  two  boats  had  diminished  consider- 
ably, and  we  could  make  out  the  schooner  quite  distinctly. 
She  was  little  more  than  five  miles  away  now,  and  there 
could  be  no  possible  doubt  about  her  identity.  Then,  as 
we  watched,  she  went  slowly  about  and  next  moment  we 
saw  a  string  of  signals  break  out  at  her  masthead. 

Walworth   took   up   a   glass   from   the  deck  chair  and 


274  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

reported  that  she  was  anxious  to  know  our  name  and 
where  we  hailed  from. 

"  Shall  I  answer  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"By  all  means,"  Alie  replied;  "did  you  bring  the 
signals  with  you?  " 

"  I  have  them  in  my  berth,"  he  answered,  and  dived 
below,  to  reappear  a  moment  later  with  a  bundle  of  bunt- 
ing under  his  arms. 

Having  asked  the  skipper's  permission,  he  bent  them  on 
to  the  halliards  and  ran  them  up  to  the  gaff  end.  They 
streamed  out  upon  the  breeze,  and  as  he  watched  them 
Walworth  cried  to  Alie,  with  the  first  and  only  sign  of 
excitement  I  have  ever  known  him  show : 

*'  That  will  let  them  know  that  you  are  safe  aboard !  " 

*'  Do  you  wish  me  to  bring  the  yacht  as  close  along- 
side as  I  can  ?  "  asked  our  skipper,  who  had  been  made 
aware  of  our  intention  to  say  good-bye  to  him  immediately 
we  sighted  the  Lone  Star. 

"  If  you  will  be  so  kind,"  I  answered. 

The  necessary  manoeuvre  was  thereupon  executed,  and 
presently  the  two  yachts  lay  less  than  half  a  mile  apart. 

"  What  a  lovely  craft  that  is,"  said  Janet,  who  had  just 
come  on  deck  and  was  watching  her  with  increasing 
admiration. 

"  That  is  the  Lone  Star,"  said  Alie,  putting  her  arm 
round  Janet's  waist  in  her  usual  affectionate  manner. 
"  The  boat  which  is  to  carry  us  to  our  home,  dear  Janet ! 
May  you  be  as  happy  on  board  as  I  have  been." 

"I  think,"  I  said,  taking  the  opportunity  of  a  pause  in 
their  conversation  to  make  a  practical  suggestion,  "  if  you 
ladies  will  allow  me  to  say  such  a  thing,  it  would  be  as 
well   if  we  facilitated  our  transhipping   by    getting    our 


OUK  MARRIAGE.  275 

luggage  ready.      If  I  mistake  not,  Patterson  is  piping  a 
couple  of  boats  away  even  now  I" 

I  was  right,  for  as  we  looked  the  boats  were  descending 
from  the  port  davits, 

"George  is  ever  practical,  is  he  not,  Alie?"  said  Janet 
in  a  toasing  tone.  "I  fear  there  is  not  much  romance  in 
his  constitution  !  " 

"  lam  not  quite  so  sure  of  that,"  said  Alie,  with  a 
roguish  glance  at  me,  "  and,  all  things  considered,  I  think 
I  may  claim  to  be  a  very  good  judge." 

"  If   I   am    to  get    the    worst   of   it    in  this  fashion," 
retorted  Janet,  with  a  great  pretence  of  anger,  "  I  shall  go  ' 
below  and  look  after  my  luggage." 

"Let  us  all  go,"  said  Alie,  and  down  we  accordingly 
went. 

By  the  time  the  necessary  work  was  accomplished  and 
the  crew  had  conveyed  our  luggage  to  the  deck,  the  boats 
from  the  Lone  Star  were  alongside.  They  were  in  charge 
of  Gammel,  the  third  officer,  who,  when  he  came  aboard, 
raised  his  hat  respectfully  to  Alie ;  in  return  she  shook 
him  warmly  by  the  hand  and  expressed  the  joy  it  was  to 
her  to  see  the  Lone  Star  again.  The  luggage  was  then 
conveyed  down  the  gangway  and  put  aboard  one  boat, 
which  immediately  set  off  for  the  schooner.  At  Alie's 
desire  I  then  called  the  captain  aft. 

"  Captain  Brown,"  I  said,  "  before  we  leave  the  yacht  I 
should  very  much  like  with  your  permission  to  say  a  few 
words  to  your  crew." 

My  request  was  granted,  and  the  hands  were  immedi- 
ately summoned  aft.  Then,  having  descended  to  the  cabin 
for  something  I  wanted,  I  prepared  to  make  a  little  speech. 

"  Captain  Brown,"  I  said,    "  officers  and  crew  of  this 


276  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

yacht,  before  we  leave  you  to  join  yonder  craft  I  wish,  in 
my  wife's  name  and  my  own,  to  thank  you  for  the  manner 
in  which  you  have  performed  your  respective  duties.  A 
pleasanter  time  than  we  have  had  aboard  this  yacht  during 
the  past  six  weeks  no  one  could  desire,  and  now  that  we 
are  leaving  you  I  desire  to  hand  you  some  little  souvenirs  of 
our  acquaintance.  Accordingly  I  am  presenting  to  your 
captain  a  sum  of  money  which  will  allow  each  man  of  you 
five  pounds  when  he  arrives  in  England,  and  to  the 
captain  and  his  chief  officer  these  two  gold  chronometers, 
which  I  hope  will  remind  them  of  our  short  but  intimate 
acquaintance." 

When  I  had  finished  and  had  made  the  presentations, 
the  captain,  on  behalf  of  the  ship's  company,  replied,  and 
then,  amid  hearty  cheers,  we  descended  the  gangway,  took 
our  places  in  the  boat,  and  set  off  for  the  Lone  Star. 

When  we  came  alongside  we  discovered  the  whole  ship's 
company  drawn  up  to  receive  us.  Patterson  was  at  the 
gangway,  and,  to  my  surprise,  welcomed  us  with  more 
emotion  than  I  had  previously  thought  his  character 
capable  of  exhibiting.  I  did  not  know  until  afterwards 
that  he  had  become  aware  by  cable  of  the  dangerous  situa- 
tion from  which  we  had  rescued  his  leader. 

As  soon  as  we  were  safely  on  board,  the  boats  were 
hoisted  to  the  davits,  sail  was  made,  and  after  an 
exchange  of  salutations  between  the  two  yachts  we 
separated,  each  proceeding  on  our  different  ways. 

Of  the  voyage  across  the  Indian  Ocean  there  is  little  or 
nothing  to  be  told ;  for  the  greater  part  of  the  distance  fine 
weather  accompanied  us.  We  sat  on  deck  or  in  the  saloon, 
read,  related  our  experiences,  "  fought  our  battles  o'er 
again,"  and  watched  the  ever-changing  ocean. 


OUR  MARRIAGE.  277 

It  was  our  intention  not  to  risk  the  China  Sea,  but  to 
pass  up  through  the  Straits  of  Lombok  and  Macassar  to 
the  settlement. 

Just  before  sunset  one  evening,  the  dim  outlines 
of  the  coast  of  Bali,  with  Agung  Peak  towering  aloft, 
was  sighted  ahead,  then  Lombok  Peak,  on  the  island  of 
the  same  name,  came  into  view,  and  before  darkness  fell 
we  were  in  the  Straits  themselves,  choosing  the  eastern 
channel  between  Penida  Island  and  the  Cape  of  Banko  as 
the  safer  of  the  two.  Hereabouts  the  tides  run  very 
strong,  and  between  us  and  the  land  there  was  such  a 
show  of  phosphorescent  water  that  night  as  I  never 
remember  to  have  seen  elsewhere.  We  entered  the  straits 
at  eight  o'clock  and  were  clear  of  them  again  by  eleven. 

All  next  day  we  were  occupied  crossing  the  Java  Sea, 
the  water  still  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  the  sun  glaring 
down  fiercely  upon  us.  Naturally  we  were  all  most  keen 
to  arrive  at  the  settlement  and  truly  rejoiced  next  day 
when  Patterson  informed  us  that  by  the  evening  of  the  day 
following  we  should  be  within  easy  reach  of  it. 

The  next  night  passed,  and  sun-time  (mid-day)  once 
more  came  round.  The  heat  was  still  intense,  the  brass 
work  was  too  hot  to  touch,  and  the  pitch  fairly  bubbled  in 
the  seams.  All  the  morning  we  panted  m  our  deck  chairs, 
and  only  left  them  to  go  below  to  lunch.  One  thing  was 
remarkable ;  now  that  we  were  almost  within  touch  of 
safety,  Alie  had  grown  strangely  nervous,  so  much  so  that 
I  felt  compelled  to  remonstrate  with  her. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  why  I  am  so  frightened,"  she 
answered,  "  but  do  you  remember  that  night  on  which  we 
first  met  when  we  watched  the  moon  rise  and  talked  of  tha 
sea?" 


278  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  Of  course,  I  remember  it  perfectly,"  I  replied,  "  but 
why  do  you  allude  to  it  now  ?  " 

"  Because  I  have  that  same  feeling  to-night  about  my 
fate  being  mixed  up  with  the  sea.  I  told  you  I  should 
die  at  sea,  and  I  have  a  strange  foreboding  that,  successful 
as  this  escape  has  proved  so  far,  it  will  yet  end  in  disaster." 

"My  darling,"  I  cried.  "You  must  not  talk  like  that. 
What  on  earth  has  put  such  a  notion  into  your  head.  No, 
no,  my  wife ;  having  brought  us  safely  through  so  much, 
our  luck  will  not  desert  us  now." 

But  she  was  still  unconvinced,  and  no  argument  on  the 
part  of  Janet  or  myself  could  raise  her  spirits.  Wonderful 
is  the  instinct  of  danger  in  the  human  mind  ;  for  in  a 
measure  what  Alie  prophesied  actually  did  come  true,  as 
will  be  seen. 

Next  morning,  just  after  daylight,  I  was  awakened  by  a 
loud  thumping  at  my  cabin  door. 

"  Who  is  there  ?  "  I  cried, 

"  Walworth  !     We  want  you  on  deck  at  once." 

Pyjama  clad  though  I  was,  I  thrust  my  feet  into 
slippers  and  ran  up  the  companion  ladder.  I  found 
Patterson  there  anxiously  awaiting  me. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  I  asked  breathlessly.  "Why 
did  you  send  for  me  ?  " 

"If  you  want  my  reason,"  he  said,  pointing  over  our 
starboard  side,  "  look  there." 

I  looked,  and  to  my  horror  saw  ahead  of  us,  command- 
the  whole  strait,  two  enormous  men  -  of-war.  They 
were  within  six  miles  of  us,  and  were  evidently  making 
preparations  for  stopping  us. 

"  What's  to  be  done  ?  "  I  cried.  "  Another  quarter  of  an 
hour  and  they'll  blow  us  into  atoms  if  we  don't  heave-to." 


OUR  MARRIAGE.  279 

"  Will  you  inform  your  wife,  and  then,  perhaps,  we  had 
better  hold  a  council  of  war,"  answered  Patterson. 

Without  another  word  I  went  below  and  told  Alie.  In 
the  presence  of  this  definite  danger  she  was  a  new  woman. 

"  I  will  dress  and  come  on  deck  at  once,"  she  said. 

I  went  off  to  my  own  cabin  and,  hastily  clothed  myself; 
having  done  so  I  returned  to  the  deck  to  find  Patter- 
son looking  through  his  glass  at  something  astern. 

'*  We're  nicely  caught,"  he  said  on  becoming  aware  of 
my  presence.     "  There's  another  of  them  behind  us." 

I  took  the  glass  and  looked  for  myself ;  what  he  reported 
was  quite  correct.  We  were  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap. 
Just  as  I  returned  the  glass  to  him  Alie  appeared  and 
joined  our  group. 

"  This  is  bad  news,  gentlemen,"  she  said  quite  calmly, 
"  I  suppose  there  can  be  no  doubt  they  arc  after  us.  W^hat 
have  you  to  suggest  ?  " 

"It  is  difficult  to  say,"  answered  Patterson.  "Two 
things,  however,  are  quite  certain." 

"  What  are  they  ?  " 

"  The  first  is  that  unless  we  are  prepared  to  run  the 
schooner  ashore,  we  must  go  backwards  or  forwards. 
There  is  no  middle  course.  In  either  case  the  result  will 
be  the  same." 

"  Have  you  sent  word  to  the  engine-room  to  get  up  steam?" 

"  We  have  had  a  full  pressure  this  hour  past." 

Ahe  turned  to  me. 

"  What  do  you  advise,  my  husband  ?  " 

"  There  is  nothing  else  for  it,"  I  answered,  "  but  to  run 
the  gauntlet  of  them.     We  must  try  and  get  through." 

"  Very  good,  then — run  it  shall  be  1  Are  you  satisfied, 
Mr.  Patterson  ?  " 


280  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  Quite.  I  agree  with  Dr.  De  Normanville  it  is  our  only 
chance." 

"  Then  let  us  get  as  close  to  them  as  we  can,  and 
directly  their  signals  go  up,  race  for  it !  We  shall  probably 
be  hit,  but  we  musn't  mind  that." 

The  wind  was  blowing  from  the  most  favourable  quarter, 
and  every  moment  was  bringing  us  nearer  to  our  enemies. 
So  far  they  had  made  no  sign,  but  it  was  evident  now  that 
they  were  drawing  closer  to  each  other. 

When  we  were  within  easy  range  the  second  officer 
reported  that  the  larger  of  the  two  cruisers  was  signalling. 

"  What  does  she  say?  "  asked  Patterson. 

The  officer  put  up  his  glass  again  and,  having  looked, 
studied  the  Admiralty  book  lying  upon  the  hatchway. 

"  Heave-to  and  let  me  examine  you." 

"Very  kind,  indeed,"  said  Alie.  "But  we're  not  to  be 
caught  in  that  way.  No,  no  !  my  friend,  if  you  want  us 
you  will  have  to  use  sterner  measures  than  that." 

Patterson  gave  an  order  and  presently  a  stream  of 
buhting  was  flying  from  our  own  gaff  end. 

"  What  are, you  saying  ?  "  I  asked  when  the  signals  had 
unrolled  and  caught  the  wind. 

"  I'm  asking  him  why  he  wants  to  stop  us  ?  "  answered 
Patterson. 

All  this  time  we  were  creeping  up  between  them.  Once 
more  a  signal  broke  out,  and  again  the  officer  reported. 
This  time  it  ran,  "Heave-to  and  I'll  send  a  boat."  But 
this  was  equally  unregarded. 

For  ten  minutes  there  was  no  change  save  that  we  had 
now  come  up  level  with  them.  Then  down  fluttered  the 
string  of  flags,  and  at  the  same  instant  a  flash  of  fire  came 
from  the  nearest  vesKel  followed  by  a  cloud  of  white  smoke. 


OUR  MARRIAGE.  281 

Almost  at  the  same  instant  a  sharp  report  reached  our 
ears. 

"  A  blank  cartridge  to  show  that  they  mean  business,"  I 
answered. 

"  Hadn't  we  better  go  ahead  ?  "  Alie  remarked. 

"I  thinK  so,"  said  Patterson,  and  rang  the  telegraph. 
The  needle  flew  round  to  "  Full  steam  ahead,"  and  off 
we  went. 

"  Give  her  every  ounce  she  can  ca?^y,"  shouted  Patter- 
son down  the  speaking  tube,  and  the  engineers  proved 
fully  equal  to  the  occasion.  Before  very  long  the  whole 
fabric  of  the  vessel  trembled  under  the  pressure.  She 
quivered  like  a  frightened  stag,  and  cut  through  the  green 
water  at  a  furious  pace.  Then,  seeing  our  ruse,  the 
cruiser  fired.  But,  either  intentionally  or  because  they 
had  not  accurately  guaged  our  distance,  the  ball  went 
wide. 

"  "We're  in  for  it  now,"  said  Alie;  "  this  looks  as  if  it 
will  be  the  most  exciting  flight  in  the  Lone  Star's  history. 

"  If  only  we  could  give  them  one  in  return,"  I  said 
longingly.  "  However,  we  can't  stop  for  that.  So  go  on, 
little  barkie  !  "  I  cried  enthusiastically,  patting  the  bulwark 
with  my  hand,  as  if  to  encourage  her,  "you  know  how 
much  depends  upon  you." 

As  if  she  were  really  aware  of  it,  the  gallant  little  craft 
dashed  on — throwing  off  the  foam  in  two  great  waves  from 
her  cutwater,  and  sending  the  spray  in  clouds  above  her 
bows.  The  pace  was  terrific,  and  it  seemed  already  to 
have  dawned  upon  the  cruisers  that  if  they  wanted  to 
catch  us  they  must  be  quick  about  it.  By  this  time 
we  had  run  between  them,  and  therefore  they  had  to 
turn  round  before  they  could  pursue  us,  which  meant  a 


232  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

start  for  us  that  was  of  the  utmost  importance  in  our  race 
for  freedom. 

Before  they  attempted  to  turn,  however,  both  decided 
on  letting  us  know  their  tempers,  and  two  guns  crashed 
out  ahnost  simultaneously.  Again  the  ball  from  the 
bigger  of  the  two  fell  wide,  but  that  from  her  consort  was 
more  scientifically  aimed,  and  our  foretop  mast  came 
down  with  a  crash. 

"  That's  the  first  blood  drawn,"  I  said  to  Alie,  as  the 
crew  sprang  aloft  to  clear  away  the  raffle.  "I  wonder 
what  the  next  will  be." 

"  If  we  can  continue  this  pace  we  shall  soon  be  out  of 
range,"  she  answered. 

"  But  can-we  continue  it?"  I  asked.  "  The  strain  must 
be  enormous.  Do  you  feel  how  every  timber  is  quivermg 
under  it  ?  " 

As  I  spoke  Alie  turned  and  I  saw  that  Janet  had  come 
on  deck.  With  a  white  face  she  looked  at  the  two  vessels 
behind  us  and  asked  what  their  presence  meant. 

"  It  means,"  said  Alie,  going  to  her  and  assuming 
possession  of  her  hand,  '*  that  England  is  determined  to 
try  and  have  the  Beautiful  White  Devil  after  all." 

"  But  she  shan't,"  said  Janet  loyally,  "  not  if  I  have  to 
keep  her  off  with  my  own  hands." 

"  Bravo,  my  sister,"  I  cried  enthusiastically,  "  that's  the 
sort  of  spirit  we  boast  aboard  this  boat.  Never  fear, 
we'll  slip  them  yet ;  won't  we,  Alie  ?  " 

The  girl  answered  me  with  a  smile  that  went  to  my 
heart,  so  brave  and  yet  so  sad  was  it. 

By  this  time  the  men-of-war  had  turned  and  were  in 
full  pursuit  of  us  ;  but  we  had  the  advantage  of  a  start  and 
were  momentarily  increasing   our  lead.     Again  one  ship 


OUR  MARRIAGE.        "  283 

fired,  but  as  we  were  all  steaming  too  fast  for  correct 
aiming,  the  ball  did  no  damage.  After  that  they  saved 
their  powder,  and  concentrated  all  their  energies  on  the 
t.uk  of  catching  us.  All  the  morning  we  steamed  on,  and 
by  three  o'clock  were  a  good  ten  miles  ahead. 

"  If  we  can  only  keep  this  pace  up  till  dusk  I  think  we 
may  manage  to  give  them  the  slip  after  all,"  said  Alie, 
going  to  the  taffrail  and  looking  behind  her  at  the 
pursuing  ships. 

Their  commanders  seemed  to  realise  this  too,  for  they 
once  more  began  to  try  long  shots  at  us.  But  though  two 
foil  very  close,  no  harm  was  done. 

x\bout  half-past  three  Patterson  left  the  bridge  and  came 
down  to  where  we  were  sitting  aft.  He  held  a  chart  in  his 
hand,  and  when  he  came  up  with  us  he  knelt  down  and 
pinned  it  to  the  deck. 

"  May  I  draw  yonr  attention  to  this  chart  ?  "  he  said,  as 
soon  as  his  preparations  were  complete.  "You  will 
remember  that  the  first  time  we  were  ever  chased,  it  was  in 
this  very  place !  Well,  on  that  occasion  we  managed  to 
escape  by  taking  this  channel  between  these  two  reefs.  Our 
pursuer,  as  doubtless  you  have  not  forgotten,  drew  too 
much  water  and  could  not  follow  us.  Now,  if  you  are 
willing  to  chance  it,  we  might  try  the  same  plan  again." 

•'  What  do  you  think  ?"  asked  Alie,  turning  to  me.  "  It 
is  a  desperate  risk  to  run,  but  then  we  must  remember  that 
v^-e  are  in  a  desperate  position." 

I  knelt  down  upon  the  deck  and  carefully  examined  the 
chart.  It  showed  a  long,  straggling  reef  shaped  some- 
thing like  a  wriggling  snake  with  an  opening  in  the 
middle,  just  wide  enough,  if  the  measurements  were  to  be 
depended  upon,  to  permit  our  vessel  to  pass  through.  One 
19 


284  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

fact  was  self-evident,    anil  that   was   that   if  we  did  get 
through  we  should  be  saved. 

"I  am  for  chancing  it,"  I  said,  after  I  had  given  the 
matter  proper  consideration. 

"Then  we  will  follow  your  advice,"  said  Alia.  ""Wo 
will  try  the  passage." 

"  Very  good,"  Patterson  answered  quietly,  and,  having 
rolled  up  the  chart,  returned  to  the  bridge. 

After  that  for  nearly  half-an-hour  we  raced  on  at  full 
speed,  the  warships  coming  after  us  as  fast  as  their 
steaming  capabilities  would  permit. 

Then  our  pace  began  somewhat  to  abate,  and  looking 
ahead  I  could  distinguish  in  the  gathering  dusk  what 
looked  like  an  unbroken  line  of  breakers  stretching  away 
for  miles  to  port  and  starboard,  from  far  out  in  the  open 
sea  almost  to  the  ragged  coast  line  on  our  left.  Our 
course  had  long  since  been  altered  and  now  we  were 
steering  directly  for  the  troubled  water.  The  pace  was 
still  terrific,  but  we  were  slowing  down  perceptibly. 

"  We  are  close  to  the  opening  now,"  said  Alie,  leading 
the  way  up  onto  the  bridge.  "  If  we  make  a  mistake  and 
touch,  we  shall  go  to  pieces  in  five  minutes.  Let  us 
therefore  keep  together,  husband  mine." 

We  stood  to  windward  of  the  binnacle  and  watched 
what  was  about  to  happen.  The  breakers  were  scarcely 
half  a  mile  ahead,  the  warships  perhaps  six  miles  astern. 
Then  two  men  crawled  into  the  chains  and  set  the 
leads  going — the  second  officer  was  sent  forrard  to  re- 
connoitre and  Patterson,  dismissing  the  steersman,  took 
the  wheel  himself.  The  third  officer  was  stationed  at  the 
telegraph. 

Suddenly  Patterson  drew  himselt  up,  spun  the  spokes 


OUR  MARRIAGE.  285 

with  a  preliminary  twist  to  see  that  all  was  in  working- 
order,  and  then  turned  to  bis  subordinate  at  the  telegraph. 

"  Stop  her  1"  be  cried. 

The  bell  tinkled  in  the  engine-room  and  answered  on  the 
bridge.  The  throbbing  of  the  propeller  ceased  as  if  by 
magic,  and  next  moment  we  were  only  moving  forward  by 
our  own  impetus.  Almost  before  one  could  think,  we  were 
among  the  breakers,  but  still  going  forward.  I  glanced  at 
Patterson  out  of  the  corner  of  my  eye.  He  was  standing  as 
erect  and  passionless  as  a  marble  statue,  looking  straight 
before  him.  On  both  sides  the  breakers  dashed  and 
roared — the  spray  rising  into  our  faces  and  falling  upon 
the  decks  like  rain.  There  was  a  slight  grinding  noise  for 
a  second  or  two,  and  then  Patterson  gave  a  shout : 

*'  Full  steam  ahead  !" 

The  bell  answered  like  magic  and  instantly  the  schooner 
shot  forward.  Next  moment  we  were  through  the  reef  in 
smooth  water,  and  nafe. 

Looking  behind  us  we  could  see  that  the  cruisers  had 
stopped  and  turned,  they  knew  too  well  what  the  result 
would  be  if  they  attempted  to  follow  us. 

An  hour  later  a  large  island  hid  us  from  sight  of  the 
reef  and  our  pursuers.  But  still,  in  the  gathering  gloom, 
■we  steamed  ahead  as  fast  as  our  propellers  could  drive  us. 

At  seven  o'clock  the  gong  sounded  for  dinner,  and 
after  a  last  look  round  we  went  below  to  it.  "When  we 
remembered  how  hopeless  it  had  appeared  at  the  beginning, 
it  was  difficult  to  believe  that  we  had  emerged  so  safely 
from  our  awkward  scrape. 

Durmg  the  meal  1  could  hardly  eat  for  looking  at  Alia 
and  thinking  of  all  the  events  which  had  occurred  since 
first  I  sat  at  that  table  with  her.     She  must  have  beeu 


286  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

thinking  something  of  the  same  kind,  for  at  the  end  of 
dinner,  just  as  we  were  about  to  go  on  deck,  she  bade  the 
steward  charge  our  glasses  and  proposed  this  toast : 

"  I  drink  to  the  Lo7ie  Star  and  those  who  have  saved  us 
to-flay." 

We  drank  the  toast  with  enthusiasm  and  set  our  glasses 
down  again.  Bat  just  as  we  did  so,  there  was  a  loud 
crash,  a  trembhng  of  the  entire  vessel,  a  curious  pause, 
and  then  another  awful  crash. 

"  We  have  struck  something  !  "  I  cried,  springing  to  my 
feet.  Then,  as  if  by  instinct,  I  said,  "  Run  to  your  cabins 
and  get  your  shawls  !  " 

Taey  did  so,  and,  by  the  time  they  emerged  again,  the 
hubbub  was  deafening  ;  the  sound  of  rending  and  tearing 
could  only  be  described  as  awful.  Then  there  was  sudden 
and  complete  silence  which  was  almost  worse  than  the 
noise.  We  ran  on  desk  and  made  our  way  as  fast  as  we 
could  to  the  bridge. 

"  What  has  happened  ?"  I  crie:l  to  Patterson,  who  was 
issuing  orders  as  fast  as  his  tongue  could  utter  them. 

"  We  have  struck  a  rock  that  is  not  on  my  chart,"  he 
said.     "  And  I  have  reversed  the  engines  to  pull  her  off." 

I  could  see  that  we  were  going  astern  -  but  even  a  child 
could  have  told  by  the  way  the  schooner  moved  that  it  was 
a  hopeless  case  with  her. 

Even  while  he  was  speaking  she  was  sinking  perceptibly. 

"  There  is  no  hope,"  he  said  at  last,  "  we  must  leave  her." 

All  the  hands  by  this  time  were  at  their  stations,  and  the 
boats  were  lowered  with  exquisite  care  and  precision, 
i'ortunately  they  had  been  that  very  day  uncovered  and 
equipped,  in  case  oi  accident,  so  that  there  was  no  possible 
c;  I'Sij  for  delay. 


OUE  MAEKTAGE.  287 

Keeping  Alie  and  Janet  by  my  side  1  descended  to  the 
boat  allotted  to  us  and  we  took  our  seats  in  the  stern. 
By  the  time  we  had  pulled  to  a  distance  of  about  a 
hundred  yards,  the  deck  of  the  yacht  was  level  with  the 
water.  Five  minutes  later  the  gallant  but  ill-fated 
Lone  Star  tipped  up  on  end,  gave  a  sullen  plunge,  and 
disappeared  beneath  the  waves  to  be  no  more  seen  by 
mortal  man.  I  slipped  my  arm  round  Alie's  waist  and 
drew  her  closer  to  my  side.  She  was  trembling 
violently. 

"Be  brave,  dear  love,"  I  whispered.  "  For  all  our  sakes, 
be  brave." 

She  turned  her  head  in  the  direction  where  the  poor 
yacht  had  disappeared  and  said,  almost  under  her  breath  : 

"  Good-bye,  Lone  Star,  good-bye." 

Then  she  stooped  forward  and  buried  her  face  in  her 
hands. 

To  divert  her  thoughts,  I  turned  to  the  boat  nearest  us, 
which  was  commanded  by  Patterson,  and  asked  what  he 
thought  we  had  bettor  do. 

"  Sail  up  the  coast  as  fast  as  we  can,"  he  answered. 
"  My  boat  will  take  the  lead,  the  rest  had  better  follov\-  in 
single  file.  If  this  wind  holds  we  shall  fetch  the  settlement, 
or  be  somewhere  thereabouts,  by  daybreak." 

The  wind  did  hold  and  we  did  make  the  settlement  by 
the  time  he  specified.  Then  passing  behind  the  great 
doors  which,  as  I  have  said  before,  concealed  the  entrance 
to  the  canal  so  cleverly  that  even  from  the  close  distance 
of  a  mile  I  had  not  been  able  to  detect  where  the  imitation 
began  and  the  real  cliff  ended,  we  pulled  inside.  Then,  to 
cheer  us,  standing  before  them  all,  I  unbared  my  head, 
and  cried,  perhaps  a  trifle  theatrically  : 


238  THE  BEAUTIFUL  WHITE  DEVIL. 

"  Gentlemen  1  the  queen  has  come  back  to  her  own 
again  I " 

As  the  cheers  that  greeted  my  annonncement  died  away 
"we  left  the  canal  and  entered  the  little  landlocked  harbour. 


L'ENVOI. 

Three  years  have  passed  since  the  wreck  of  the  schooner 
Lone  Star,  and  to-day  is  the  third  anniversary  of  our 
return  to  the  settlement.  It  is  a  lovely  morning,  and  I 
am  sitting  in  the  verandah  of  our  bungalow  on  the  hill- 
side, pen  in  hand,  waiting  for  a  step  whose  music  grows 
every  day  more  welcome  to  my  ears.  My  patience  is 
rewarded  when  a  woman,  to  whose  beauty  Time  has  but 
added,  turns  the  corner,  closely  followed  by  an  enormous 
white  bull- dog,  and  comes  towards  me.  When  she  reaches 
me  she  sets  down  the  rosy  toddling  infant  she  carries 
in  her  arms,  and,  taking  a  seat  beside  me,  says : 

"  What  news  had  you  by  the  mail  this  morning,  my 
husband?  " 

"Nothing  of  very  much  moment,  Alie,"  I  answer.  *'  The 
negotiations  in  England  are  still  proceeding,  and  Brandwon 
confidently  hopes,  in  view  of  certain  considerations,  that  he 
will  be  able  to  carry  out  his  plans  and  win  a  free  pardon 
for  a  certam  beautiful  lady  of  my  acquaintance." 

"  Then  it  is  all  as  satisfactory  as  we  could  wish  ?  "  she 
says.  "  I  am  thankful  for  that !  And  now  I  have  some 
news  for  you  !  " 

"  Are  you  going  to  tell  me  that  I  am  the  happiest 
husband  in  the  world  ?  or  that  that  boy,  playing  with  old 
Bel  yonder,  whom  wo  both  worship  a  good  deal  more  than 


OUR  MAEEIAGE.  289 

is  good  for  him,  is  being  spoiled  by  the  entire  population 
of  the  settlement?  " 

"  Neither  of  those  things  I  No,  it  has  to  do  with  your 
sister  Janet." 

"  Ah  !  then  I  can  guess.  She  is  so  enraptured  with 
the  settlement  that  she  is  willing  to  prolong  her  stay 
indefinitely." 

"  How  did  you  guess  ?  " 

"Have  I  not  eyes,  my  wife?  You  don't  mean  to  tell 
me  that  you  think  you  alone  have  seen  the  outrageous 
"court  Walworth  has  been  paying  her  these  six  months 
past?" 

"  You  have  no  objection,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  Not  the  very  slightest.  She  is  a  good  woman,  if  ever 
there  was  one,  and  he  is  certainly  a  man  after  my  own 
heart.  If  they  marry  and  are  destined  to  be  as  happy  as 
we  are,  then  they'll  be  lucky  people  ;  that's  all  I  can  say, 
my  wife." 

"  Can  you  truthfully  affirm  that  you  have  never  re- 
gretted giving  up  so  much  for  me  ?  " 

"Regretted!  How  can  you  ask  me  such  a  question? 
No,  my  darling ;  rest  assured,  if  there  is  one  thing  for 
which  I  am  grateful  to  Providence  it  is " 

Here  I  placed  my  arm  round  her  neck  and  drew  her 
lovely  head  down  to  me. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  she  whispered. 

"  That  I  was  permitted  to  be  the  husband  of  the 
Beautiful  White  Devil." 

THE    END. 


APPLETONS'   TOWN   AND   COUNTRY  LIBRARY. 

PUBLISHED    SEMIMONTHLY. 


1.  The  Steel  Ilanwner.    By  Louis  Ulbach. 

2.  Eve.    A  Novel.    By  S.  Bauing-Gould. 

3.  For  Fifteen  Years.    A  Sequel  to  The  Steel  Hammer.    By  Louis  Ulbacii. 

4.  A  Cou/isel  or' Perfection.    A  Novel.    By  Lucas  Malet. 

5.  The  Deemster.    A  Romance.    By  Hall  Caine. 

5i.  The  Bondman.    (New  edition.)    By  Hall  CAraE. 

6.  A  Yirginia  Inheritance.    By  Edmund  Pendleton. 

7.  Nim  ttc  ■  An  Idyll  of  Provence.    By  the  author  of  V6ra. 

8.  "  The  night  Honourable.'''  By  Justin  McCarthy  and  Mrg.  Campbell-Pbaed. 
d.  The  Silence  of  Dean  Mailland.    By  Maxwell  Gray. 

10.  Mrs.  Lorimer :  A  Study  in  Black  and  White.    By  Lucas  Malet. 

11.  The  Elect  Lad!/.    By  George  MacDonald. 

l-,>.  The  .Ui/.itery  of  the  "  Ocean  Star.''    By  W.  Clark  Russell. 

l.i.  Arlsfiirrucy.    A  Novel. 

14.  A  h'ecoil'uig  Vengeance.    By  Frank  Barrett.    With  IllustrationB. 

lo.  The    Secret  of  Fontaine-la- Croi.v.    By  Margaret  Field. 

IG.  The  Master  of  Rathkelly.    By  Hawley  Smart. 

17-  Donovan:  A  Modern  Englishman.    By  Edna  Ltall. 

18.  This  Mortal  Coil.    By  Grant  Allen. 

19.  A  Pair  Emigrant.    By  Rosa  Mulholland. 

20.  The  Apostate.    By  Ernest  Daudet. 

21.  Raleigh  Westgate ;  or,  Epimenides  in  Maine.     By  Helen  Kendkick  Johnson. 

22.  Arii/s  the  Libyan.    A  Romance  of  the  Primitive  Church. 

23.  Constance,  and  Calbofs  Rival.    By  Julian  Hawtuorne. 
21.  We  Two.    By  Edna  Ltall. 

25.  A  Dreamer  of  Dreams.    By  the  author  of  Thoth. 

26.  The  Ladies'  Gallery.    By  Justin  McCarthy  and  Mrs.  Campbell-Praed. 

27.  The  Reproach  of  Annesley.    By  Maxwell  Gray. 

28.  Near  to  Happiness. 

29.  hi  tlie  Wire  Grass.    By  Louis  Pendleton. 

30.  Lace.    A  Berlin  Romance.    By  Paul  Lindau. 
30^.  The  Black  Poodle.    By  F.  Anstey. 

31.  American  Coin.    A  Novel.    By  the  author  of  Aristocracy. 
82.  Won  by  Waiting.    By  Edna  Ltall. 

33.  The  Story  of  Helen  Davenant.    By  Violet  Fane. 

34.  The  Light  of  Her  Countenance.    By  H.  H.  Botesen. 

35.  Mistress  Beatrice  Cope.    My  M.  E.  Le  Clerc. 

36.  Th^  Knight-Errant.    By  Edna  Lyall. 

37.  In  the  Golden  Days.    By  Edna  Lyall. 

38.  Giraldi ;  or,  The  Curse  of  Love.    By  Ross  George  Dering. 

39.  A  Hardy  Norseman.    By  Edna  Lyall. 

40.  The  Romance  of  Jenny  Harlowe,  and    Sketches  of  Maritime  Life.    Bj   W. 

Clark  Russell. 

41.  Passion's  Slave.    By  Richard  Ashe-King. 

42.  7 he  Awakening  of  Mary  Fenwick.    By  Beatrice  Whitdt. 

43.  Countess  Loreley.    Translated  from  the  German  of  Rudolf  Menger. 

44.  Blind  Love.    By  Wilkie  Collins. 

4.1.  Th£  Dean's  Daughter.    By  Sophie  F.  F.  Veitch. 

46.  Co)intess  Irene.    A  Romance  of  Austrian  Life.    By  J.  Fogertt. 

47.  Robert  Browninn' s  f'rinc'tpal  Shorter  Poems. 

48.  Frozen  Hearts.    By  G.  Webb  Appleton. 

49.  Djambek  the  Gtorgt  i:i.    By  A.  G.  von  Suttner. 

50.  The  Craze  (yf  Chnst'ian  Engelhart.    By  Henry""Faulkner  Darnell, 

51.  L(d.    By  William  A.  Hammond,  M.  D. 
bi.  Aline.    A  Novel.     By  Henry  Greville. 

53.  Joost  Avelingh.    A  Dutch  Story.    By  Maarten  Maartens. 

54.  Katy  of  Catoctin.    By  George  Alfred  Townsend. 

55.  Throchnorton.    A  Novel.    By  Molly  Elliot  Seawkll. 

56.  Expatriation.    By  the  author  of  Aristocracy. 

57.  Geoffrey  Hampstead.    By  T.  8.  Jarvis. 


APPLETONS'  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  LIBHAHY. -{Continued-) 

58.  Dmitri.     A  Romance  of  Old  Russia.    By  F.  W.  Bain,  M.  A. 
59   Part  of  the  Property.    By  Beatkice  Whii'by. 
00.  Bismarck  in  Pi  irate  Life.    By  a  Fellow-Student. 

61.  In  Low  Relief.    By  Moblet  Roberts. 

62.  The  Canadians  of  (Ad.    A  Historical  Romance.    By  Philippe  GASPfi. 
C3.  A  Squire  of  iMw  Degree.    By  Lilt  A.  Long. 

64.  A  Fluttered  Dovecote.    By  George  Manvillk  Femn. 

65.  The  ]S\igents  of  Carriconnu.    An  Irish  Story.    By  Tighe  Hopkins. 

66.  A  Sensitive  Plant.    By  E.  and  D.  Gerard. 

67.  Dona  Lvz.    By  Juan  Valera.    Tianslated  by  Mrs.  Mart  J.  Serrano. 

68.  Pepita  Ximenez.    By  Juan  Valera.    Translated  by  Mrs.  Mart  J.  Serrano. 

69.  The  Primes  and  th-:ir  Neighbors.    By  Ricuard  Malcolm  Johnston. 
TO.   The  Iron  Game.    By  Henry  F.  Keenan. 

71.  Stories  of  Old  New  Spain.    By  Thomas  A.  Janvier. 

72.  The  Maid  of  Uonor.    By  Hon.  Lewis  Wingfield. 

73.  In  the  Heart  of  the  Stonn.    By  Maxwell  Grat. 

74.  Consequences.    By  Egerton  Castle. 

75.  The  Three  Miss  Kings.    By  Ada  Cambridge. 

76.  A  Matter  of  Skill.    ISy  Beatrice  Whitby. 

77.  Maid  Mai'ian,  and  Other  Stories.    By  Mollt  Elliot  Seawkll. 

78.  One  Woman's  Way.    By  Edmund  Pendleton. 

79.  A  Merciful  Divorce.    By  F.  W.  Maude, 

80.  Stephen  Ellicott's  Daughter.    By  Mrs.  J.  H.  Needell. 

81.  Orie  Reason  Why.    By  Beatrice  Whitby. 

82.  The  Tragedy  of  Ida  Noble.    By  W.  Clark  Russell. 

83.  The  Johnstown  Stage,  and  other  Stoj-ies.    By  Robert  H.  Fletcher. 

84.  A  Widoiver  Indeed.    By  Rhoda  Broughton  and  Elizabeth  Bisland. 

85.  The  Flight  of  a  Shadatv.    By  George  MacDonaxd. 

86.  Love  Off  Money.    By  Katharine  Lee, 

87.  Not  All  in  Vain.    By  Ada  Cambridge, 

88.  It  Happened  Yesterday.    By  Frederick  Marshall, 

89.  My  Guardian.    By  Ada  Cambridge. 

90.  The  Stm-y  of  Philip  Metkuen.    By  Mrs,  J,  H.  Needell. 

91.  Amethyst :  The  Story  of  a  Beauty.    By  Chbistabel  R.  Coleridge. 

92.  Don  B7'aitlio.    By  Juan  Valera.    Translated  by  Clara  Bell, 

93.  The  Chrotiicles  of  Mr.  Bill  miliams.    By  Richard  Malcolm  Johnston. 

94.  A  Queen  of  Curds  and  Cream.    By  Dorothea  Gerard, 

95.  "  La  Bella  "  and  Others.    By  Egerton  Castle. 

96.  '■'■  December  Roses."    By  Mrs.  Campbell  Praed. 

97.  Jean  de  Kerdren .    By  Jeanne  Schultz. 

98.  Etelkd's  Vmv.    By  Dorothea  Gerard. 

99.  Crosscurrents.    By  Mart  A.  Dickens. 

00.  His  Life's  Magnet.    By  Theodora  Elmslie. 

01.  Passing  the  Love  of  Women.    By  Mrs.  J.  U.  Needell. 

02.  In  Old  St.  Stephen's.    By  Jeanie  Drake. 

03.  The  Berkeleys  and  their  Neighbors.    By  Mollt  Elliot  Seawbll. 

04.  Mona  Maclean.  Medical  Student.    By  Graham  Travhrs. 

05.  M7-S.  Bligh.    By  Rhoda  Broughton. 

06.  A  Stumble  on  the.  Threshold.    By  James  Patn. 

07.  Hanging  Moss.    By  Paul  Lindau. 

08.  A  Comedy  of  Elopement.    By  Christian  Reid. 

09.  In  the  Svntime  of  her  Youth.    By  Beatrice  Whitbt. 

10.  Stories  in  Wiirk'and  ^Vhite.    By  Thomas  Hardt  and  Others. 
lOJ,  An  Englixliniiin  hi  Pans.     Notes  and  Recollections. 

11.  Conimani/er  Mnuloza.    Bv  Juan  Valera. 

12.  Dr.  PauWs  Thtory.     By  Mrs.  A.  M.  Diehl. 

13.  Children  of  Destiny.    By  Mollt  Elliot  Seawell, 

14.  A  Little  Minx.     By  Ada  Cambridge. 

15.  CapVn  Davy's  Honeymoon.    By  Hall  Caine, 

16.  The  Voice  of  a  Flower.     By  E.  Gerard. 

17.  Singularly  Deluded.    By  Sarah  Grand. 

18.  Suspected.    By  Louisa  Stratenus. 

19.  Lucia,  Hugh,  and  Another.    By  Mrs.  J.  H.  Needell. 
180.  The  'Tutor's  Secret.    By  Victor  Cherbuliez. 


APPLETONS'  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  LIBUABY.— (Continued.) 

l:il.  From  the  Five  Rivers.    By  Mrs.  F.  A.  Steel. 

ia2.  An  Innoctut  ImpiMory  and  Othtr  IStoHes.    By  Maxwell  Grat. 

1:33.  Ideala.     By  Sauah  Grand. 

ia4.  A  Comedy  ot  MwKs.    Bv  Ernkst  Dowbon  and  Arthur  Moore. 

1-J5.  Relics.    BylTRANCES  MacJNab. 

120.  Dodo:  A  Detail  of  the  Day.    By  E.  F.  Benson. 

127.  A  Woman  of  Forty.    By  Ksme  Stuart. 

128.  Diana  TeinptM.    By  Mary  Cholmondeley. 

129.  The  Reciptfor  Diamonds.    By  C.  J.  Cutcliffe  Hth3. 

130.  Christina  Chard.    By  Mrs.  C'AMrBELL-PRAED. 

131.  A  Gi-ay  Eye  or  So.    By  Frank  Frankfort  Moorb. 

132.  Earlscourt.    By  Alexander  Allardyce. 

133.  A  Marriage  Ceremony.     By  Ada  Cambridge. 

134.  A  Ward  in  Chancery.     By  Mrs.  Axexander. 

135.  Lot  13.    By  Dorothea  Gerard. 

136.  Our  Manifold  Xatiire.     By  Sarah  Grand. 

137.  A  Costly  Freak.    By  Maxwell  Gray. 

138.  A  Beginner.    By  Rhoda  Broughton. 

139.  A  Telhnv  Aster.     By  Mrs.  Mannington  Caffyn  ("  Iota"). 

140.  The  Rubicon.    By  E.  F.  Benson. 

141.  The  Trespasser.    By  Gilbert  Parker. 

142.  J  he  Rich  Miss  Riddell.    By  Dorothea  Gerard. 

143.  Miiry  Ft  n  nick's  Ddnghttv.     By  Leatrice  Whitby. 

144.  Rid  JfuuiHtnds.    By  Justin  McCarthy. 

145.  A  Dunghtir  of  Music.     By  G.  Colsiore. 

143.  Outlaw  and  Lawmaker.     By  Mrs.  Campbell-Praed. 

147.  ///'.  Janet  if  Hurley  Street.    By  Arabella  Kenealt. 

148.  George  MandevUle's  Husband.    By  C.  E.  Raimond. 

149.  Vashti  and  Esther. 

L^O.  Timar's  Two  Worlds.    By  M.  Jokai. 

151.  A  Victim  of  Good  Luck.     By  W.  E.  Norris. 

152.  TTie  Trail  of  the  Sword.     By  Gilbert  Parker. 

153.  A  Mild  Barba7'ian.    By  Edgar  Fawcett. 

154.  The  God  in  the  Car.    By  Anthony  Hope. 

155.  Children  of  Circumstance.    By  Mrs.  M.  Caffyn. 

156.  At  the  Gate  of  Samaria.     By  WiLHAiM  J.  Locke. 

1.57.  The  Justiflcation  of  Andrew  Lebrun      By  Frank  Barrett. 

158.  Dttst  and  Laurels.    By  Mary  L.  Rendered. 

159.  The  Good  Ship  Mohock.    By  W.  Clark  Russell. 

160.  Noemi.    By  S.  Baring-Gould. 

161.  The  Honour  of  SareUi.     By  S.  Levett  Yeats. 

162.  Kitty's  Engagement.    By  Florence  Warden. 

163.  The  Mermaid.    By  L.  Dougall. 

164.  An  Arranged  Marriage.    By  Dorothea  Gerard. 

165.  Ere's  Ransom.    By  George  Gissing. 

166.  The  Marriage  of  Esther.    By  Guy  Boothby. 

167.  Fidelis.    By  Ada  Cambridge. 

108.  Lrdo  the  Highways  and  Hedges.    By  F.  F.  Montresor. 

109.  The  Vengec.ice  of  .James  Vansittart.    By  Mrs.  J.  H.  Needell. 

170.  A  Study  in  Prejudices.     By  George  Paston. 

171.  The  Mistress  of  Q'lest.     By  Adeline  Sergeant. 

172.  In  the  Year  of  .Jubilee.     By  George  Gi?sing. 

173.  Jn  Old  Neiv  England.   By  Hezekiah  Butterworth. 

174.  Mrs.  Musgrave—and  Her  Husband.    By  R.  Marsh. 

175.  Not  Counting  th£  Cost.    By  Tasma. 

176.  Out  of  Due  Season.     By  Adeline  Sergeant. 

177.  Scyllaor  Charybdisf    By  Rhoda  Broughton. 

178.  Jn  Defiance  of  the  King.    By  C.  C.  Hotchkiss. 

179.  A  Bid  for  Fortune.    By  Guy  Boothby. 

180.  TTie  King  of  Andaman.    By  J.  Maclaren  Cobban. 

181.  Mrs.  Tregaskiss.    By  Mrs.  Campbell-Praed. 

182.  The  Desire  of  the  .Moth.    By  Capel  Vane. 

183.  A  Self-Denying  Ordinance.    By  M.  Hamilton. 

184.  Successors  to  the  Title,    By  Mrs.  L.  B.  Walford. 


APPLETONS'  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  LIBBART.-(ro««n?/r;<'.) 

185.  The  Lost  Stradlrarins.    By  J.  Meade  Falkner. 

186.  The  Wrong  Jfa/i.    By  Dokotuea  Gerard. 

187.  In  the  Day  of  Adrasity.    By  J.  Bloltndelle-Burton. 

188.  Mistress  Dorothy  Marvin.    By  J.  C.  Snaith. 

189.  A  Flash  of  Summer.    By  Mrs.  \X.  K.  Clifford. 

190.  The  Dancer  in  Yellow.    By  W.  E.  Norris. 

191.  The  Chronicles  of  Martin  Hewitt.    By  Arthur  Morrison. 

192.  A  Winning  Hazard.    By  Mrs.  Alexander. 

193    The  Picture  of  Las  Criices.    By  Christian  Eeid. 

194.  The  Madonna  of  a  Day.    By  L.  Dougall. 

195.  The  Fiddle  Ring.    By  Justin  McCarthy. 

196.  A  Humble  Enterprise.     By  Ada  Cajlbridge. 

197.  Dr.  Nikola.    By  Gut  Boothbt. 

198.  An  Outcast  of  the  Islands.     By  Joseph  Conrad. 

199.  The  King's  Revenge.    By  Claude  Brat. 

200.  Denounced.    By  J.  Blounuelle-Burton. 

201.  A  Court  Intrigue.    By  Basil  Thompson. 

202.  The  Idol- Maker.    By  Adeline  Sergeant. 

203.  The  Intrigmrs.    By  John  D.  Barrt. 

204.  Master  Ardick,  Buccaneer.    By  F.  H.  Costello. 
20.5.  With  Fortune  Made.    By  Victor  Chfrbuliez. 

206.  Fellow  Travellers.    By  Graham  Travers. 

207.  McLeodofthe  Cameron^.     By  M.  Hamilton. 

208.  The  Career  of  Candida.    By  George  Paston. 

209.  Arrested.    Bv  Esme  Stuart. 

210.  Tatterley.    By  T.  Gallon. 

211.  A  Pinchbeck  Goddess.    By  Mrs.  J.  JI.  Fleming  (Alice  M.  Kipling). 

212.  Perfection  City.    By  Mrs.  Orpen. 

213.  A  Spotless  Reputation.    By  Dorothea  Gerard. 

214.  A  Galahad  of  the  Creeks.    By  S.  Levett  Teats. 

215.  Marietta's  Marriage.    By  W.  E.  Norris. 

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TranslatLcl  bv  .M ap.y  J.  Safford.     1  volume. 
In  tlie  Fire  of  the  Forg-e.    A  Romance  of  Old  Nuremberg.    Translated  by 

Mart  J.  Safford.    2  volumes. 
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bing, breathing,  moving  life." — New  York  Mail  and  E.rpress. 

"Mr.  Crane's  story  should  be  read  for  the  fidelity  with  which  it  portrays  a  life 
that  is  potent  on  this  island,  along  with  the  best  of  us.  It  is  a  powerful  portrayal,  and, 
if  somber  and  repellent,  none  the  less  true,  none  the  less  freighted  with  appeal  to  those 
who  are  able  to  assist  in  righting  wrongs." — New  York  Times. 

n^HE  RED  BADGE  OF  COURAGE.     An  Episode 
-^        of  the  American  Civil  War.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $i.oo. 

"  Never  before  have  we  had  the  seamy  side  of  glorious  war  so  well  depicted.  .  .  . 
The  action  of  the  story  throughout  is  splendid,  and  all  aglow  with  color,  movement, 
and  vim.  The  style  is  as  keen  and  bright  as  a  sword-blade,  and  a  Kipling  has  done 
nothing  better  in  this  line." — Chicago  Evening  Post. 

"There  is  nothing  in  American  fiction  to  compare  with  it.  .  .  .  Mr.  Crane  has 
added  to  American  literature  something  that  has  never  been  done  before,  and  that  is, 
in  its  own  peculiar  way,  inimit.able." — Hoston  Beacon. 

"  A  truer  and  completer  picture  of  war  than  either  Tolstoy  or  Zo\2."  —  London  New 
Review. 


New    York:  D.   APPLETON   AND   COMPANY. 


DATE  DUE 

CAYLORD 

PRINTED  IN  US    A. 

UC  SOUTHtRN  Rl  l-^lV'irtLV.l'.l'i^I^iUlllilll'llllll 


AA    000  589  573    5 


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